From  Bull  Run 
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LUTHER   W.  HOPKINS. 
Taken  from  an  old  daguerreotype  in  1861,  before  entering  the  army. 


FROM  BULL  RUN 
TO  APPOMATTOX 


A   BOY'S  VIEW 


BY 

LUTHER  W.  HOPKINS 

OF   GENL.    J.    E.    B    STUART*  S     CAVALRY 
6TH  VIRGINIA  REGIMENT,  C.  S.  A. 


PRESS    OF 

FLEET-McGlNLEY    Co. 
BALTIMORE 


Copyright,  1908 

By    L.   W.   HOPKINS 

Baltimore 


PREFACE 

"Life  is  the  mirror  of  the  king  and  slave, 

'Tis  just  what  you  are  and  do. 
Then  give  to  the  world  the  best  you  have, 

And  the  best  will  come  back  to  you." 

I  never  thought  that  I  should  be  guilty  of  writing  a  book.  I 
did  not,  however,  do  this  with  malice  aforethought.  My  son  is 
responsible  for  whatever  sin  I  may  have  committed  in  presenting  this 
to  the  public.  He  and  I  have  been  good  friends  ever  since  we 
became  acquainted,  and  he  has  always  insisted  upon  my  telling  him 
all  that  I  know.  When  he  was  about  three  years  old  he  discovered 
that  I  had  been  a  soldier  in  Lee's  army  from  1861  to  1865,  and, 
although  he  is  of  Quaker  descent  and  a  loyal  member  of  the  Society 
of  Friends,  and  I  am  half  Quaker,  yet  he  loved  war  stories  and  I 
loved  to  tell  them.  This  accounts  for  the  production  of  the  book. 
After  I  had  told  him  these  stories  over  and  over,  again  and  again, 
when  he  was  grown  he  insisted  upon  my  starting  at  the  beginning 

and  giving  him  the  whole  of  my  experience  in  the  Confederate  army. 

Then  he  wanted  it  published.     I  yielded  to  his  request,  and  here  is 

the  book.    This  is  not,  however,  an  exact  copy  of  the  typewritten 

manuscript  which  he  has.    The  original  manuscript  is  more  personal. 

I  thought  certain  changes   would  make  it  more  acceptable  to  the 

general  reader. 

We  all  believe  in  peace ;  universal  peace,  but  when  war  does  come, 

and  such  a  costly  war  as  the  one  from  which  this  story  is  taken,  we 


4  PREFACE 

ought  to  get  all  the  good  out  of  it  we  can.  The  long  marches  along 
dusty  roads,  under  hot  suns,  the  long  marches  through  sleet  and 
snows,  the  long  dreary  nights  without  shelter,  the  march  of  the 
picket  to  and  fro  on  his  beat,  the  constant  drilling  and  training,  the 
struggle  on  the  battlefields,  all  these  are  part  of  the  material  that  the 
world  has  always  used  in  constructing  a  nation.  While  there  are 
some  things  about  war  that  we  should  forget,  there  are  many  things 
that  ought  never  to  be  forgotten,  but  should  be  handed  down  from 
sire  to  son  all  through  the  ages  that  are  to  come. 

Historians  have  told  us  much  about  our  Civil  War,  but  they  have 
left  out  the  part  that  appeals  most  to  the  boy,  and  it  is  this  part  that 
I  have  tried  to  bring  before  the  public.  Men  may  read  the  book  if 
they  will,  but  it  is  written  more  particularly  for  the  youth.  The  boy 
of  today  and  the  boy  that  is  yet  to  be  ought  to  know  of  the  bloody 
sweat  through  which  this  nation  passed  in  reaching  its  present 
position  among  the  great  nations  of  the  earth,  and  the  part  the  boy 
played  in  it.  It  is  said  that  one  boy  is  a  boy;  two  boys  a  half  boy 
and  three  boys  no  boy  at  all.  That  may  be  true  of  the  boy  running 
loose,  unbridled  like  a  colt,  but  gather  up  these  boys  and  train  them, 
harness  and  hitch  them  and  they  will  move  the  world  or  break 
a  trace.  It  is  the  boy  who  decides  the  fate  of  nations.  I  don't  know 
the  average  age  of  our  soldiers  in  times  of  peace,  but  when  wars  come 
and  there  is  a  call  for  soldiers,  it  is  mainly  the  boy  in  his  teens  who 
responds ;  yet,  strange  to  say,  the  historian  has  never  thought  it  worth 
while  to  put  much  emphasis  upon  what  the  boy  does  in  the  upbuilding 
of  a  nation. 

Another  thing  that  has  been  neglected  by  the  historian  is  the  brave 
and  noble  part  the  horse  took  in  our  war.    The  grays,  the  bays,  the 


PREFACE  5 

sorrels,  the  roans,  the  chestnuts,  have  not  been  forgotten  in  this 
story.  Indeed,  as  I  have  already  said,  I  have  tried  to  bring  to  light 
that  part  of  the  story  of  our  Civil  War  that  has  not  been  told. 

Now,  young  men  and  boys,  girls  too,  old  men,  if  there  are  any, 
read  this  book,  all  of  you,  regardless  of  geographical  lines,  for  I 
have  tried  to  be  fair  to  those  who  wore  the  blue.  As  the  years  go 
by,  I  have  learned  to  respect  and  admire  those  who  fought  for  the 
Union.  I  visited  Boston  and  its  environments  two  summers  ago  for 
the  first  time.  During  the  visit  I  did  not  meet  a  person  whom  I  had 
ever  seen  before,  yet  all  the  time  that  I  was  away  I  felt  at  home.  I  said 
to  myself,  are  these  the  people  we  of  the  South  used  to  hate?  Are 
these  the  people  that  we  once  mobbed  as  they  marched  through  our 
streets?  Yes,  they  are  the  same  people  or  their  descendants,  but 
then  we  did  not  know  them  and  they  did  not  know  us.  I  came  back 
feeling  proud  of  my  country,  and  I  only  wish  I  could  give  here  a 
detailed  account  of  that  visit.  If,  early  in  the  spring  of  1861,  the 
North  and  South  had  exchanged  visits,  each  party  would  have  gone 
home  singing,  "there  ain't  goin'  to  be  no  war,"  but  we  had  a  war; 
a  great  war,  a  costly  war;  let  us  forget  what  ought  to  be  forgotten 
and  remember  what  ought  to  be  remembered.  I  want  to  pay  this 
tribute  to  the  Northern  soldiers.  I  have  discovered  this :  When  two 
armies  of  equal  numbers  met  face  to  face  in  the  open,  it  was  nearly 
always  a  toss  up  as  to  who  would  win.  Numbers  don't  always  count 
in  battle.  General  Hooker,  with  his  army  of  130,000,  retreating  before 
Lee's  60,000,  doesn't  mean  that  one  rebel  could  whip  two  yankees. 
It  only  meant  that  "Fighting  Joe"  had  more  than  he  could  manage. 
His  numbers  were  an  encumbrance.  There  were  other  differences 
which,  for  the  sake  of  brevity,  I  will  not  mention,  but  will  add  this 


6  PREFACE 

one  word :    One  bluecoat  was  all  I  cared  to  face,  and  I  believe  every 
other  Johnny  Reb  will  say  the  same  thing. 

May  we  never  have  another  war,  but  boys,  remember  this  :  "Peace 
hath  her  victories,  no  less  renowned  than  war,"  and  the  boy  that 
wishes  to  count  in  this  world  must  train.  There  are,  however,  other 
training  schools  quite  as  helpful  as  the  camp  and  the  battlefield. 

LUTHER  W.  HOPKINS. 
Baltimore,  November,  1908. 


CONTENTS 

CHAPTER   I. 

FROM   HARPER'S  FERRY  TO  BULL  RUN. 

Loudoun  County  on  the  Potomac— John  Brown's  Raid— War  Talk  Among 
the  Schoolboys— The  Slave  and  His  Master— Election  of  Lincoln— Seces 
sion— Schoolboys  Preparing  for  the  Coming  Conflict— Firing  on  Fort  Sum- 
ter— Union  Army  Crossing  the  Potomac. 

CHAPTER   II. 

FROM  BULL  RUN  TO  SEVEN  PINES. 

Confederates  Concentrating  at  Manassas— First  Battle— The  Wounded 
Horse— Rout  of  the  Union  Army— The  Losses. 

CHAPTER    III. 

FROM  BULL  RUN  TO  SEVEN  PINES.  (CONTINUED.) 
Long  Rest— Each  Side  Recruiting  Their  Armies— McClellan  in  Command— 
His  March  on  Richmond  by  the  Way  of  the  James  River— Jackson's 
Brilliant  Valley  Campaign— The  Battles  Around  Richmond— Seven  Pines— 
Mechanicsville— Beaver  Dam— Games'  Mill— Fair  Oaks— The  Wounding  of 
Gen.  Jos.  E.  Johnston— McClellan's  Defeat— The  Spoils  of  the  Battle. 

CHAPTER   IV. 

FROM   SEVEN  PINES  TO  ANTIETAM. 

The  Battle  of  Cedar  Run— Jackson's  Flank  Movement— McClellan  Moves 
His  Army  Back  to  Washington— Second  Battle  of  Manassas— The  Defeat 
of  Pope— His  Retreat  to  the  Defenses  of  Washington— The  Captured 
Stores  and  Losses  on  Both  Sides— Lee  Crosses  the  Potomac  Into  Mary 
land—The  Stragglers  of  Lee's  Army— A  Dinner  Party— The  Capture  of 
Harper's  Ferry— Battle  of  Antietam— Result  of  the  Battle— Lee  Recrosses 
the  Potomac— Lee's  Army  in  a  Trap. 

CHAPTER   V. 

FROM  ANTIETAM  TO  CHANCELLORSVILLE. 

McClellan  Relieved  of  His  Command— Burnside  Commands  the  Union  Army— 
The  Two  Armies  at  Fredericksburg— The  Blue  Ridge  Mountain— The 
Author  a  Prisoner— Battle  of  Fredericksburg— Burnside's  Defeat— Losses 
on  Both  Sides— The  Armies  in  Winter  Quarters— How  They  Spent  the 
Winter— Company  Q's  Escapade— Raid  Into  West  Virginia— Burnside 
Relieved— Hooker  in  Command— Hooker  Crossing  the  Rappahannock— 
Jackson's  Successful  Flank  Movement— His  Mortal  Wound— Hooker's 
Defeat— He  Recrosses  the  River— Losses  on  Both  Sides— Stonewall  Jack 
son's  Death— The  South  in  Tears— Ode  to  Stonewall  Jackson  by  a  Union 
Officer. 

CHAPTER   VI. 

FROM  CHANCELLORSVILLE  TO  GETTYSBURG. 

Ninth  of  June  at  Brandy  Station—Lee's  Army  En  Route  for  Gettysburg- 
See  Map— Stuart's  March  Around  the  Union  Army— Lee  Crosses  the 
Potomac— The  Union  Army  in  a  Parallel  Line  With  Lee's— Crosses  the 


8  CONTENTS 

Potomac  Below  Harper's  Ferry— Hooker  Relieved— Meade  in  Command  of 
the  Union  Army— The  Battle  of  Gettysburg— Lee's  First  Defeat— His 
Retreat— The  Midnight's  Thunder  Storm— His  Five  Days'  Rest  on  the 
North  Bank  of  the  Potomac— He  Recrosses  the  River. 

CHAPTER   VII. 

FROM  GETTYSBURG  TO  THE  WILDERNESS. 

Both  Armies  Marching  Back  to  the  Rappahannock— Short  Rest— Meade's 
Advance— Lee  Retires  to  the  Rapidan— Meade's  Withdrawal  From  Lee's 
Front— Lee's  Advance— Fighting  Around  Brandy  Station— The  Battle  at 
Bristoe  Station— The  Union  Army  Retires  Towards  Washington— Lee 
Discontinues  the  Pursuit  and  Returns  to  the  Rapidan  River— In  Winter 
Quarters— How  the  Winter  Was  Spent— Many  of  Lee's  Soldiers  Are  Per 
mitted  to  Return  to  Their  Homes  Under  Care  of  Their  Commanding 
Officers  for  a  Vacation— Mosby  Appears  Upon  the  Scene. 

CHAPTER   VIII. 

FROM  THE  WILDERNESS  TO  JAMES  RIVER. 

Grant  in  Command  of  the  Union  Army — Preparation  for  the  Coming 
Struggle— Battle  of  The  Wilderness— Strength  of  the  Armies— Losses- 
Wounding  of  General  Longs treet— Battle  at  Spottsylvania  Court  House— 
The  Awful  Slaughter— Sheridan's  Raid  on  Richmond— Stuart's  Cavalry  in 
Pursuit— General  Stuart's  Death— Yellow  Tavern— The  Author  Again  a 
Prisoner. 

CHAPTER    IX. 

FROM  THE  JAMES  RIVER  TO  PETERSBURG. 

Battle  of  Cold  Harbor— Grant  Again  Repulsed— Death  of  Flournoy— Grant 
Crossing  the  James— Prison  Life  at  Point  Lookout— Parole  of  the  Sick 
From  the  Hospitals— The  Dreary  Winter— Its  Bright  Side— How  the 
Soldiers  and  the  Citizens  Spent  It— Mosby's  Men— The  Long  Siege- 
Battle  of  the  Crater. 

CHAPTER    X. 

FROM  PETERSBURG  TO  APPOMATTOX. 

Evacuation  of  Richmond— Retreat  of  Lee's  Army  Towards  Appomattox— 
Lee's  Surrender— After  the  Surrender— Some  War  Stories— The  Faithful 
Slave. 

CHAPTER    XI. 

THE  HORSES  OF  LEE'S  ARMY. 

Their  Number— Losses— Rover's  Tricks— A  Mighty  Jaw— Her  Capture- 
Horses  in  Battle— Friendship  Between  Horse  and  Rider— Wagon  Horses- 
Artillery  Horses — Cavalry  Horses — Men  Sleep  on  Their  Horses — Horses  for 
Breastwork— Seventy-five  Thousand  Black  Beauties— Monument  for  Lee's 
Horses— A  Pathetic  Poem. 


GEN.  JOSEPH  E.  JOHNSTON, 

Who  preceded  Gen.  Robert  E.  Lee  in  command  of  the   Army  of  Northern 

Virginia. 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS 


PAGE 

LUTHER  W.   HOPKINS, Frontispiece 

GEN.  JOSEPH  E.  JOHNSTON, 8 

JEFFERSON  DAVIS, 16 

GEN.  THOMAS  JONATHAN  JACKSON  (called  "Stonewall  Jackson"),   .    .  32 

ROBERT  HOWARD  HOPKINS,       48 

THE  LAST  MEETING  OF  LEE  AND  JACKSON  AT  CHANCELLORSVILLE,      .    .  80 

GEN.  ROBERT  E.  LEE,       112 

MRS.  R.  E.  LEE, 128 

GEN.   FITZHUGH   LEE, 144 

A  BATTLE-SCARRED  CONFEDERATE  BANNER,       161 

GEN.  A.  P.  HILL, 176 

ONE  OF  STONEWALL  JACKSON'S  MILEPOSTS, 192 

BISHOP  ALPHEUS  W.  WILSON,        ,  208 


From  Bull  Run  to  Appomattox 

A    BOY'S  VIEW 
CHAPTER  I. 

From  Harper's  Ferry  to  Bull  Run. 

"O  war,  thou  hast  thy  fierce  delight, 
Thy  gleams  of  joy  intensely  bright; 
Such  gleams  as  from  thy  polished  shield 
Fly  dazzling  o'er  the  battle-field." 

Is  there  a  boy  in  all  this  wide  land,  North  or 
South,  who  would  not  like  to  hear  what  a  boy  has  to 
say  of  his  experience  as  a  private  soldier  in  the  Con 
federate  Army  from  1861  to  1865,  serving  for  the 
most  part  in  Stuart's  Cavalry  of  Lee's  army?  Men 
have  told  their  story,  and  graphically  told  it  from 
a  man's  standpoint.  But  who  has  spoken  for  the 
boy?  Who  has  told  of  the  part  the  boy  played  in 
that  great  drama  that  was  on  the  stage  for  four 
years  without  intermission?  That  bloody  drama 
in  which  there  were  3,000,000  players — a  play  that 
cost  the  country  eight  billions  in  money  and  half 
a  million  human  lives? 


12  FROM  BULL  RUN  TO  APPOMATTOX. 

•.  »..;?'«f*H5i 
.   *~tr$g-**"wqg 

I  do  not  know  how  it  was  in  the  Northern  armies, 
but  the  bulk  of  Lee's  soldiers  in  the  ranks  were  boys 
in  their  teens.  It  was  these  boys  who  made  Thomas 
Jonathan  Jackson,  "Stonewall  Jackson;"  who  put 
Robert  E.  Lee's  name  in  the  hall  of  fame  and  who 
lifted  J.  E.  B.  Stuart  up  to  the  rank  of  lieutenant- 
general  of  cavalry.  One  of  these  boys  has  written 
the  story  as  he  remembers  it  in  plain,  simple  lan 
guage  ;  not  a  history,  but  simply  an  account  of  what 
he  saw  and  did  while  this  eventful  history  was  be 
ing  made.  If  his  experience  is  different  from 
others,  or  does  not  accord  in  all  respects  with  what 
the  historian  has  written,  it  is  because  we  do  not  all 
see  alike.  The  writer  has  not  consulted  the  his 
tories  for  material  for  this  story;  he  did  not  have  to 
do  this.  If  all  the  boys  who  served  in  the  Confed 
erate  Army  were  to  write  their  experience,  they 
would  all  be  different,  yet  all  approximately  cor 
rect,  and  perhaps,  taken  together,  would  be  the 
most  perfect  history  that  could  be  written  of  the 
Confederate  side  of  the  Civil  War. 

In  the  early  spring  of  1861  I  was  seventeen  years 
old  and  going  to  school  about  half  a  mile  from  my 
home  in  Loudoun  county,  Virginia.  Twelve  miles 
distant  was  Harper's  Ferry,  where  four  years  pre- 


FROM   BULL  RUN   TO  APPOMATTOX.  13 

vious  John  Brown  had  made  an  attempt  to  raise  an 
insurrection  among  the  slaves  in  that  district.  He 
seized  the  United  States  arsenal,  located  there,  for 
the  purpose  of  arming  the  negroes,  who  were  ex 
pected  to  flock  to  his  standard  and  have  their  free 
dom  declared.  The  negroes  did  not  respond ;  John 
Brown  and  a  few  of  his  followers  were  captured 
and  hanged.  This  atrocious  act  of  Brown  and  his 
abettors  kindled  a  flame  in  the  hearts  of  the  South 
ern  people  that  led  to  the  Civil  War.  But  none 
felt  it  so  keenly  as  did  the  Virginians,  because  it 
was  their  sacred  soil  that  had  been  traduced. 
Three  years  before  this,  when  I  was  ten  years 
of  age,  I  remember  to  have  heard  a  political  dis 
cussion  among  a  body  of  men,  and  the  following 
words  have  lingered  in  my  memory  ever  since,  and 
they  are  all  that  I  can  recall  of  their  talk:  "If 
there  is  a  war  between  the  North  and  South,  Vir 
ginia  will  be  the  battlefield."  I  thought  it  would 
be  grand,  and  waited  anxiously  for  the  fulfillment 
of  this  prophecy.  Then  when  John  Brown  swooped 
down  on  Harper's  Ferry  with  his  cohorts,  it  looked 
as  if  the  day  had  really  come  and  that  the  predic 
tion  was  about  to  be  fulfilled.  From  that  time  war 
talk  was  general,  especially  among  the  small  boys. 


14  FROM  BULL  RUN  TO  APPOMATTOX. 

But  the  intense  excitement  caused  by  the  Brown 
episode  gradually  abated.  It  broke  out  afresh, 
however,  when  later  it  was  announced  that  Abra 
ham  Lincoln  was  elected  President  of  the  United 
States.  It  seemed  to  be  the  consensus  of  opinion 
that  the  result  would  be  war,  and  that  Virginia  in 
truth  would  be  the  battleground,  and  that  the  coun 
ties  along  the  Potomac  would  receive  the  first  shock 
of  battle.  We  boys  of  Loudoun  county,  right  on 
the  Potomac,  felt  that  we  were  "it,"  and  we  had  a 
kind  of  pity  for  those  poor  fellows  a  little  farther 
back.  We  were  in  the  front  row,  and  when  the  cur 
tain  should  go  up  we  could  see  and  hear  everything. 
There  were  about  thirty  boys  attending  our  school 
between  the  ages  of  fifteen  and  twenty.  They  all 
entered  the  Confederate  Army,  but  few  survived 
the  war. 

Before  going  on  with  the  story,  perhaps  I  ought 
to  explain  why  these  boys  were  so  eager  for  war, 
when  they  knew  that  the  enemy  would  be  their  own 
countrymen.  There  was  a  peculiar  relationship 
existing  between  the  slave  owners  family  and  the 
slaves  that  the  North  never  did  and  never  will  un 
derstand.  On  the  part  of  the  white  children  it  was 
love,  pure  and  simple,  for  the  slave,  while  on  the 


FROM  BULL  RUN  TO  APPOMATTOX.  15 

part  of  the  adult  it  was  more  than  friendship,  and, 
I  might  add,  the  feeling  was  reciprocated  by  the 
slaves.  The  children  addressed  the  adult  blacks  as 
Uncle  and  Aunt,  and  treated  them  with  as  much  re 
spect  as  they  did  their  blood  relatives.  It  was 
Uncle  Reuben  and  Aunt  Dinah.  The  adult  white 
also  addressed  the  older  colored  people  in  the  same 
way.  With  but  few  exceptions,  the  two  races  lived 
together  in  perfect  harmony.  If  a  slave-owner 
was  cruel  to  his  slaves,  it  was  because  he  was  a  cruel 
man,  and  all  who  came  in  contact  with  him,  both 
man  and  beast,  suffered  at  his  hands.  Even  his 
children  did  not  escape.  Such  men  are  found 
everywhere.  The  old  black  mammy,  with  her  head 
tied  up  in  a  white  cloth,  was  loved,  respected  and 
honored  by  every  inmate  of  the  home,  regardless 
of  color. 

The  following  incident  will  be  of  interest :  Hon. 
John  Randolph  Tucker,  one  of  Virginia's  most 
gifted  and  learned  sons,  who  represented  his  State 
in  the  U.  S.  Congress,  always  celebrated  his  birth 
day.  I  remember  to  have  attended  one  of  these  cele 
brations.  It  was  shortly  after  the  close  of  the  war. 
Mr.  Tucker  was  then  between  forty-five  and  fifty 
years  of  age.  He  had  grown  children.  Fun  mak- 


1 6  FROM   BULL  RUN  TO  APPOMATTOX. 

ing  was  one  of  his  characteristics.  On  these  annual 
occasions,  it  was  his  custom  to  dress  himself  in  a 
long  white  gown  and  bring  into  the  parlor  his  old 
black  nurse,  whom  he  called  "mammy."  She  sat  in 
her  rocking-chair  with  her  head  tied  up  in  the  con 
ventional  snow-white  cloth.  Mr.  Tucker,  dressed 
up  as  a  child  in  his  nightgown,  would  toddle 
in  and  climb  up  into  her  lap,  and  she  would  lull 
him  to  sleep  with  an  old-time  nursery  song,  no 
doubt  one  of  her  own  compositions.  This  could 
not  possibly  have  occurred  had  the  skin  of  his  nurse 
been  white. 

When  a  daughter  married  and  set  up  her  own 
home,  fortunate  was  she  if  she  took  with  her  the 
mammy.  In  many  homes  the  slaves  were  present 
at  family  prayers.  The  kitchen  and  the  cabin  fur 
nished  the  white  children  places  of  resort  that  were 
full  of  pleasure. 

This  was  the  relation  between  white  and  colored 
as  I  remember  it  from  a  child  in  my  part  of  Vir 
ginia.  And  tonight,  as  I  write  these  lines,  while 
the  clock  tolls  off  the  hour  of  eleven,  I  cannot  keep 
out  of  my  mind  the  words  of  that  little  poem  by 
Elizabeth  Akers: 

"Backward,  turn  backward,  oh  time  in  thy  flight, 
And  make  me  a  child  again,  just  for  tonight." 


JEFFERSON    DAVIS, 

President  of   the   Confederate    States   of  America.    Taken   just   before   his 
inauguration. 


FROM   BULL  RUN   TO  APPOMATTOX.  17 

How  anyone  could  have  desired  to  break  up  this 
happy  relationship  was  beyond  the  conception  of 
the  child,  and  more  or  less  incomprehensible  to  the 
adult. 

Somewhere  between  childhood  and  youth  we 
children  all  learned  that  there  was  a  race  of  people 
up  North  called  Abolitionists,  who  were  so  mean 
that  they  sent  secret  agents  through  the  country  to 
persuade  the  colored  people  to  leave  their  homes 
and  go  North,  where  they  could  be  free.  That 
these  agents  were  disguised  as  peddlers  or  other 
wise,  and  that  they  visited  the  cabins  of  the  slaves 
during  the  late  hours  of  the  night,  and  went  so  far 
as  to  urge  them  to  rise  up  in  a  body  and  declare 
their  freedom,  and  if  necessary  to  murder  those 
who  held  them  as  slaves.  This  delusion,  if  it  were 
a  delusion,  might  have  been  dispelled  had  not  John 
Brown  and  his  men  appeared  upon  the  scene  to  give 
an  ocular  demonstration  of  their  real  intent.  The 
few  men  with  him  may  have  been  the  only  follow 
ing  that  he  had,  but  the  damage  had  been  done. 
Virginia  was  fighting  mad.  What  had  been  whis 
pered  about  the  abolitionists  in  secret  was  now  pro 
claimed  from  the  housetops.  John  Brown  was  an 
abolitionist,  and  all  abolitionists  were  John 


1 8  FROM  BULL  RUN  TO  APPOMATTOX. 

Browns,  so  the  youths,  at  least,  reasoned.  The 
words  abolitionist  and  Yankee  were  for  the  most 
part  synonymous  terms;  the  former  being  hard  to 
pronounce,  the  child  usually  employed  the  latter. 
Some  of  the  young  children  did  not  know  that  a 
Yankee  was  a  human  being,  as  the  following  inci 
dent  will  illustrate: 

When  the  first  Federal  soldiers  entered  the  vil 
lage  of  Middleburg,  Loudoun  county,  Virginia, 
the  cry  went  up  and  down  the  streets,  "The  Yankees 
have  come!"  The  streets  were  soon  deserted  by 
every  living  thing  except  the  dogs  and  the  ubiqui 
tous,  irrepressible  small  boy,  who  was  or  pretended 
to  be  "skeered  o'  nothin  V  This  war  was  gotten  up 
for  his  special  benefit,  and  he  was  determined  to 
see  all  that  was  to  be  seen,  and  was  always  to  be 
found  well  up  in  front.  The  women  and  children 
within  their  homes  crowded  to  the  windows  to  see 
the  cavalry  as  it  marched  by.  A  little  three-year 
old  nephew  of  mine,  with  the  expression  of  alarm 
disappearing  from  his  face,  said:  "Mamma,  them 
ain't  Yankees,  them's  soldiers."  He  expected  to 
see  some  kind  of  hideous  animal. 

This  is  the  education  the  Virginia  boys  got,  who 
afterward  became  Lee's  soldiers.  They  were 


FROM  BULL  RUN  TO  APPOMATTOX.  19 

brought  up  in  this  school,  and  when  they  became 
soldiers,  wearing  the  gray,  they  felt  that  they  had 
something  to  fight  for.  They  believed  that  they 
were  real  patriots,  notwithstanding  they  were 
called  rebels  and  traitors. 

This  brings  us  to  the  beginning  of  the  Civil  War, 
or  at  least  to  the  secession  movement.  Lincoln  had 
not  yet  taken  his  seat  as  President,  when  several  of 
the  Southern  States  seceded  and  formed  a  Southern 
Confederacy,  with  Montgomery,  Ala.,  as  the  capi 
tal,  and  Jefferson  Davis  as  President.  This  was 
recognized  by  the  United  States  Government  as 
open  rebellion,  and  as  soon  as  Mr.  Lincoln  took  the 
reins  of  government,  he  called  for  75,000  troops  to 
suppress  the  rebellion. 

Virginia  must  either  furnish  her  quota  of  troops 
or  withdraw  from  the  Union.  She  promptly  chose 
the  latter,  and  shortly  afterward  became  a  part  of 
the  Southern  Confederacy.  As  soon  as  the  ordi 
nance  of  secession  had  passed  the  Virginia  Legisla 
ture,  there  were  a  thousand  Paul  Reveres  in  the  sad 
dle,  carrying  the  news  to  every  point  not  reached  by 
telegraph  lines.  The  young  men  and  boys  did  not 
wait  for  the  call  from  the  Governor.  Military 
companies,  infantry,  cavalry  and  artillery  sprang 


20  FROM   BULL  RUN  TO  APPOMATTOX. 

up  everywhere.  Anyone  who  chose  and  could  get  a 
sufficient  following  might  raise  a  company.  These 
companies  were  offered  to  the  Governor  and 
promptly  accepted.  The  ordinance  of  secession 
was  passed  at  night.  The  next  morning  Virginia 
troops  were  on  their  way  to  seize  Harper's  Ferry. 
On  the  approach  of  these  troops  the  small  guard 
of  United  States  soldiers  stationed  there  set  fire  to 
the  buildings  and  fled.  The  fire  was  extinguished 
by  the  citizens,  I  think,  and  much  of  the  valuable 
machinery  and  military  stores  wras  saved.  The  ma 
chinery  was  sent  to  Richmond,  and  the  arms  were 
used  in  equipping  the  soldiers.  Harper's  Ferry 
became  one  of  the  outposts  of  the  Confederacy,  and 
a  place  of  rendezvous  for  the  rapidly-growing  Con 
federate  battalions.  Thomas  Jonathan  Jackson, 
afterward  known  as  Stonewall  Jackson,  was  sent  to 
Harper's  Ferry  to  drill  and  organize  the  forces 
gathering  there,  into  an  army.  He  was  later  super 
seded  by  Gen.  Jos.  E.  Johnston,  but  Jackson  re 
mained  as  a  subordinate  commander.  In  the  mean 
time,  the  Confederate  Government  had  demanded 
that  Gen.  Anderson  evacuate  Fort  Sumter,  at  the 
entrance  of  Charleston  harbor,  and  also  had  said, 
if  not  in  words,  in  action,  to  the  Government  at 


FROM   BULL  RUN  TO  APPOMATTOX.  21 

Washington  as  it  saw  United  States  armies  gather 
ing  near  its  northern  frontier,  So  far  shalt  thou 
come,  and  no  further. 

But  to  go  back  to  the  thirty  boys.  What  were 
they  doing  all  this  time?  Just  prior  to  the  date  of 
Virginia's  secession  they  were  gathering  in  groups 
at  noon  and  recess,  on  the  way  to  and  from  school, 
and  talking  war.  How  big  and  important  we 
seemed  as  we  prospectively  saw  ourselves  dressed 
as  soldiers,  armed  and  keeping  step  to  the  beat  of 
the  drum.  There  was  but  little  studying,  for  our 
preceptor  was  not  hard  on  us.  He  had  once  been 
a  boy  himself,  and  appreciating  the  conditions  that 
surrounded  us,  he  chiefly  employed  himself  in 
keeping  the  school  together  until  hostilities  began, 
if  it  should  really  come  to  that.  I  don't  know  how 
long  the  school  continued,  but  I  do  know  that  these 
particular  boys  were  early  on  the  drill  ground,  and 
were  being  trained  into  soldiers.  It  was  difficult 
for  parents  to  keep  the  fourteen  and  fifteen-year- 
old  boys  at  home  or  in  school.  I  had  a  brother  six 
teen  years  old  who  was  first  of  the  family  to  en 
list,  and  then  all  followed,  one  after  another,  until 
four  of  us  were  in  the  ranks.  There  were  mature 
men  and  old  men,  men  of  heavy  responsibilities, 


22  FROM  BULL  RUN  TO  APPOMATTOX. 

who  saw  farther  into  the  future  than  the  younger 
generation.  These  went  about  with  bowed  heads 
and  talked  seriously  of  what  the  future  might  bring. 
They  wisely  discussed  constitutional  law,  State 
rights,  what  foreign  nations  would  have  to  say 
about  it,  the  nations  that  had  to  have  our  cotton. 
"Cotton  was  king,"  they  said,  and  the  South  owned 
the  king,  soul  and  body.  Questions  like  these  were 
discussed  among  the  men,  but  like  one  of  old,  the 
boy  cared  for  none  of  these  things.  In  the  language 
of  a  famous  Union  general,  his  place  was  to  meet 
the  enemy  and  defeat  him.  I  remember  about  this 
time  having  heard  this  toast  offered  to  the  South : 

"May  her  old  men  make  her  laws,  her  young 
men  fight  her  battles,  and  her  maidens  spin  her 
cotton." 

The  boy  well  understood  the  part  he  was  to  play, 
and  he  was  in  his  element,  and  as  happy  as  a  boy 
could  be.  I  cannot  remember  just  when  the  first 
call  was  made  for  troops  by  the  Governor,  but  I  do 
know,  as  I  have  already  stated,  that  the  boys  heard 
the  call  from  a  higher  source,  and  they  were  com 
ing  from  mountain  and  plain,  from  hillside  and 
valley,  from  the  shop,  and  office  and  school.  Well 
do  I  recall  the  joy  that  surged  up  in  every  boy's 


FROM   BULL  RUN  TO  APPOMATTOX.  23 

breast  as  one  after  another  of  the  actors  took  their 
places  on  the  stage.  Again  I  find  myself  quoting 
Elizabeth  Akers,  this  time  substituting  a  word: 

"Backward,  turn  backward,  oh  time  in  thy  flight, 
And  make  me  a  BOY  again,  just  for  tonight." 

Now  let  us  take  a  peep  into  the  Virginia  homes. 
What  were  the  women  doing?  Ah,  they  were  as 
busy  as  bees.  These  boys  must  be  equipped  not  only 
with  munitions  of  war,  but  each  must  take  with 
him  as  many  home  comforts  as  could  possibly  be 
compressed  into  a  bundle  small  enough  to  be  car 
ried.  When  he  was  at  home  it  took  a  good-sized 
room  to  hold  these  things;  now  he  must  put  them 
into  his  pocket  or  on  his  back,  and  it  took  all  of  a 
mother's  skill  to  gather  these  things  up  into  the 
least  possible  space,  that  her  boy  might  have  in  the 
camp  life  all  that  a  mother's  love  could  give  him. 
The  Government  would  furnish  the  guns,  the  pow 
der,  the  lead,  the  canteen  and  knapsack  and  haver 
sack;  the  tinshop,  the  tincup;  the  shoemaker,  the 
boots;  the  bookstore,  the  Bible  (every  boy  must 
carry  a  Bible),  but  all  the  clothing,  all  the  little 
necessary  articles  for  comfort  and  health,  must  be 
manufactured  in  the  home.  Did  you  ever  open  the 


24  FROM   BULL  RUN  TO  APPOMATTOX. 

outside  casing  of  one  of  those  large  patent  beehives 
and  see  the  bees  at  work  inside?  What  rushing  and 
pushing  and  confusion !  Every  bee,  so  far  as  human 
eye  can  see,  seems  busy.  A  Virginia  home  in  the 
spring  of  1861  was  but  the  replica  of  such  a  beehive. 

While  these  things  were  going  on  in  the  home 
the  boys  were  drilling  in  the  field,  for  they  were 
now  out  of  school.  All  were  anxious  to  get  their 
equipment,  and  to  be  the  first  to  offer  their  services 
to  the  Governor. 

Had  these  boys  any  conception  of  what  they  were 
rushing  into?  Suppose  just  at  this  time  the  cur 
tain  had  been  lifted,  and  they  could  have  seen  Bull 
Run  and  Seven  Pines,  Manassas  and  Sharpsburg, 
Fredericksburg  and  Chancellorsville,  Gettysburg 
and  The  Wilderness,  Spottsylvania,  Cold  Harbor 
and  Appomattox?  And  if  they  could  have  seen 
a  picture  of  their  homes  and  fields  as  they  appeared 
in  1865,  would  they  have  rushed  on?  Perhaps  I 
can  answer  that  question  by  pointing  to  the  battle 
field  of  New  Market.  In  the  fall  of  1864,  after 
nearly  all  the  great  battles  had  been  fought,  the 
young  cadets  from  Lexington,  Va.,  who  had  not 
yet  been  under  fire,  but  with  a  full  knowledge  of 
what  war  meant,  rushed  into  this  battle  like  veter- 


FROM   BULL  RUN  TO  APPOMATTOX.  25 

ans  and  were  mowed  down  as  grain,  their  little  bod 
ies  lying  scattered  over  the  field  like  sheaves  of 
wheat. 

"O  war,  thou  hast  thy  fierce  delight, 
Thy  gleams  of  joy  intensely  bright; 
Such  gleams  as  from  thy  polished  shield 
Fly  dazzling  o'er  the  battle-field." 

Yes,  war  has  its  bright,  attractive  side,  and  those 
boys,  as  I  knew  them,  would  have  looked  at  these 
moving-pictures  as  they  came  one  after  another 
into  view,  and  then  perhaps  have  turned  pale;  per 
haps  they  would  have  shuddered  and  then  cried 
out,  "On  with  the  dance;  let  joy  be  unconfined;" 
and  it  was  literally  on  with  the  dance.  School,  as 
I  have  just  said,  was  out,  and  every  laddie  had  his 
lassie,  and  you  may  be  sure  they  improved  the  time. 
It  was  drill  through  the  day  and  dance  through  the 
night. 

"No  sleep  till  morn  when  youth  and  pleasure  meet 
To  chase  the  glowing  hours  with  flying  feet." 

The  boys  were  happy,  and  aall  went  merry  as  a 
marriage  bell,"  and  well  that  it  was  so.  When  we 
looked  into  the  hive  we  saw  that  the  bees  were  busy, 
but  as  far  as  human  eye  could  discover,  there  was  no 
head;  all  was  confusion;  it  was  pushing  and  shov- 


26  FROM  BULL  RUN  TO  APPOMATTOX. 

ing  and  coming  and  going,  and  one  might  have 
asked  the  question,  What  are  they  doing?  What 
does  it  all  mean?  If  we  could  have  seen  farther 
into  the  hive  we  would  have  discovered  that  back 
of  this  busy  throng  sat  the  queen,  and  that  these 
were  her  subjects,  doing  her  bidding.  She  was 
sending  out  her  little  rogues  to  rob  the  flowers,  and 
they  were  coming  back  richly  laden  with  spoils. 
This  was  the  raw  material,  and  it  was  being  worked 
up.  When  the  season  was  over  and  the  flowers 
were  dead,  and  we  drew  from  the  hive  the  finished 
product,  so  perfect  in  all  its  parts  and  richly  stored 
with  sweetened  treasures,  we  began  to  realize  that 
there  was  a  master  mind  behind  it  all.  Do  you  sup 
pose  for  a  moment  that  when  these  young  men  and 
boys  of  Virginia,  in  fact  from  all  over  the  South,  who 
were  rushing  with  such  intense  enthusiasm  into  the 
Confederate  ranks,  the  fathers  and  mothers  and 
sisters ,  who  were  equipping  these  youths  with  com 
forts  without  which  they  could  not  have  endured 
the  hardships  of  the  camp,  do  you  suppose  they 
were  but  following  the  dictates  of  a  few  maddened, 
fire-eating  fanatics,  and  that  the  whole  would  end 
in  debt,  death  and  desolation?  If  you  had  lived  in 
1 86 1  you  might  have  been  excused  for  thinking  so. 


FROM   BULL  RUN  TO  APPOMATTOX.  27 

But  what  do  you  think  of  it  today,  as  the  finished 
product  begins  to  unfold  itself  to  our  view?  Do 
you  not  believe  there  was  a  master  mind  behind  it 
all,  a  King,  and  that  these  boys  were  but  part  of 
His  loyal  subjects,  doing  His  will?  Suppose  there 
had  been  no  rush  and  no  adequate  army  at  Bull 
Run  to  meet  McDowell  and  his  forces  as  they  came 
marching  out  from  Washington  with  flying  colors? 
Suppose  the  Confederates  had  been  beaten  at  Bull 
Run  and  Richmond  had  fallen,  and  the  war  had 
ended  then?  What  miserable  creatures  we  poor 
devils  of  the  South  would  have  been!  The  world 
would  have  laughed  at  us.  We  would  have  lost 
all  of  our  self-respect.  A  cycle  of  time  could  not 
have  wiped  out  our  self-contempt,  and  God  might 
have  said,  "I  cannot  build  up  a  great  nation  with 
material  like  this."  The  North  would  have  had  no 
Grand  Army  Veterans,  and  no  deeds  of  heroism 
with  which  to  keep  alive  the  fire  of  patriotism  in 
the  hearts  of  their  children.  Spain  in  1898  might 
have  successfully  defied  us,  and  China  and  Japan 
have  roamed  at  will  over  our  land.  No ;  the  war 
was  a  necessity.  It  was  costly,  but  was  worth  all 
that  it  cost.  It  has  made  of  us  a  very  great  nation. 
Now  I  shall  go  back  and  tell  how  it  was  done.  I 


28  FROM   BULL  RUN   TO  APPOMATTOX. 

shall  do  so  by  narrating  my  own  experience,  and  as 
my  experience,  with  but  slight  variation,  was  the 
experience  of  every  boy  who  served  in  the  Confed 
erate  army,  the  reader  will  have  a  fair  idea  of  what 
the  boy's  life  was  during  those  four  years. 

The  firing  upon  Fort  Sumter  was  like  throwing 
a  stone  into  a  hornet's  nest.  All  the  North  was 
aroused.  Troops  came  pouring  into  Washington 
by  every  train.  A  Massachusetts  regiment,  in  pass 
ing  through  the  streets  of  Baltimore,  was  mobbed, 
and  the  song  "Maryland,  My  Maryland"  was 
wafted  out  on  the  air. 

Maryland  boys,  under  cover  of  night,  were  cross 
ing  the  Potomac  to  help  drive  the  invaders  back. 
They  came  singing  "The  Despot's  Heel  Is  on  Thy 
Shore."  Rumors  flew  thick  and  fast.  Now  and  then 
shots  were  exchanged  between  opposing  pickets  as 
they  walked  to  and  fro  on  the  banks  of  the  Potomac 
river  that  separated  them.  In  fact,  the  curtain  was 
up  and  the  play  had  begun.  Harper's  Ferry,  Lees- 
burg  and  Manassas  (see  map*)  became  strategical 

*In  reading  the  book,  spread  out  the  map  before  you  and  follow 
the  movements  of  the  armies.  There  is  a  detached  map  with  each 
book.  The  main  battlefields  are  marked  with  a  flag,  but  there  are  over 
50  more ;  in  fact,  eliminating  the  rough  mountain  ranges,  nearly  every 
foot  of  Virginia  soil  covered  by  this  map  felt  the  tramp  of  the  soldier 
and  heard  the  hiss  of  the  bullet. 


FROM   BULL  RUN  TO  APPOMATTOX.  29 

points,  and  at  each  of  these  the  Confederates  were 
concentrating  their  forces. 

By  June  i,  1861,  Jos.  E.  Johnston  at  Harper's 
Ferry  had  an  army  of  10,000.  Gen.  A.  P.  Hill  at 
Leesburg,  3000.  Gen  P.  T.  Beauregard  at  Manas- 
sas,  12,000.  These  were  Confederates.  On  the 
Union  side,  Gen.  Patterson  had  an  army  of  about 
15,000  confronting  Johnston,  and  McDowell  at  the 
head  of  35,000  was  crossing  the  Potomac  at  Wash 
ington  en  route  for  Bull  Run. 


CHAPTER    II. 

From  Bull  Run  to  Seven  Pines. 
/ 

"Only  a  boy !  and  his  father  had  said 
He  never  could  let  his  youngest  go; 
Two  already  were  lying  dead 
Under  the  feet  of  the  trampling  foe." 

As  the  advance  guard  of  the  Federal  army  en 
tered  Alexandria,  Va.,  on  the  south  side  of  the  Po 
tomac,  a  Confederate  flag  was  seen  floating  from 
the  roof  of  a  hotel  kept  by  one  Jackson.  Col.  Els- 
worth,  commanding  the  advance  force,  hauled  it 
down.  Jackson  shot  him  dead,  and  was  in  turn 
killed  by  Elsworth's  soldiers.  This,  I  believe,  was 
the  first  blood  shed  on  Virginia  soil. 

As  McDowell  moved  his  army  toward  Manassas, 
Johnston  fell  back  toward  Winchester,  so  as  to  be 
in  a  position  to  reinforce  Beauregard  if  it  became 
necessary. 

Before  McDowell  had  reached  Fairfax  Court 
house  the  greater  portion  of  Johnston's  army  was 
en  route  for  Manassas.  So  closely  did  Johnston  con 
ceal  his  movements  that  Patterson  was  not  aware 
that  Johnston  had  left  his  front  until  it  was  too  late 


FROM  BULL  RUN  TO  APPOMATTOX.  31 

to  follow  him.  The  little  army  at  Leesburg  also 
marched  rapidly  to  Manassas. 

These  united  Confederate  armies  numbered 
about  27,000  men.  McDowell's  army,  as  I  have 
stated,  numbered  35,000. 

In  order  to  be  prepared  for  an  emergency,  the 
Governor  of  Virginia  had  called  the  militia  from 
the  counties  adjacent  to  Manassas  to  assemble  at 
that  place.  That  included  my  county.  I  joined  the 
militia  and  marched  to  Manassas,  arriving  there  a 
few  days  before  the  battle. 

There  was  skirmishing  for  some  days  between 
the  advanced  forces  of  the  two  armies,  but  the  real 
battle  was  fought  on  Sunday,  July  21,  1861. 

My  command  took  no  part  in  this  battle,  but  it 
was  in  line  of  battle  in  the  rear  of  the  fighting 
forces,  ready  to  take  part  if  its  services  were  needed. 

Soldiers,  like  sailors,  are  superstitious.  As  the 
hour  for  the  battle  drew  near,  those  of  a  mystical 
turn  of  mind  saw,  or  thought  they  saw,  a  strange 
combination  of  stars  in  the  heavens.  Some  said, 
"I  never  saw  the  moon  look  that  way  before." 
Clouds  assumed  mysterious  shapes.  Some  saw  in 
them  marching  armies,  and  other  fearful  phenom 
ena.  A  strange  dog  was  seen  one  night  passing  in 


32  FROM   BULL  RUN  TO  APPOMATTOX. 

and  out  the  various  camps  into  the  officers'  tents 
and  out  again  as  if  he  were  numbering  the  men. 
This  created  no  little  comment.  The  dog  was  all 
unconscious  of  the  excitement  he  was  creating.  He 
had  simply  lost  his  master,  but  his  manner  appeared 
ominous  to  those  who  were  looking  for  the  mystical. 
These  are  the  kind  of  soldiers  that  run  at  the  first 
fire.  They  are  found  in  all  armies. 

I  have  always  claimed  that  I  am  not  superstitious, 
but  I  must  admit  that  there  is  an  atmosphere  that 
hangs  around  the  camp  on  the  eve  of  an  approach 
ing  battle  that  is  well  calculated  to  give  one's  imagi 
nation  full  play.  The  doctors  examining  their 
medical  chests,  packages  of  white  bandages  and  lint 
arriving,  the  movement  of  the  ambulances,  the  un 
usual  number  of  litters  that  come  into  view,  the 
chaplains  a  little  more  fervent  in  their  prayers,  offi 
cers,  from  the  commanding  general  down  to  the 
lowest  rank,  more  reserved  and  less  approachable. 
Even  the  horses  seem  to  be  restive,  or  we  imagine 
them  to  be  so.  In  fact,  everything  takes  on  a  dif 
ferent  attitude.  The  very  air  appears  to  be  laden 
with  an  indescribable  something  that  makes  every 
individual  soldier  feel  himself  lifted  up  into  a  posi 
tion  of  responsibility  quite  different  from  the  place 


GEN.  THOMAS  JONATHAN  JACKSON, 

Christened    "Stonewall    Jackson"    by    General    Bee    at    the    first   battle    of 

Manassas. 


FROM  BULL  RUN  TO  APPOMATTOX.  33 

he  occupied  when  loitering  around  the  camp  with 
the  enemy  far  away  from  the  front. 

This  was  the  state  of  things  as  I  saw  them  in  and 
around  Manassas  on  the  eve  of  the  first  battle  of 
Bull  Run.  Before  the  rising  of  the  sun  on 
that  beautiful  Sabbath  day,  July  21,  1861, 
the  cannon  could  be  heard  in  the  distance,  which 
told  us  that  the  two  combatants  had  locked  horns. 
All  day  long  we  could  hear  the  booming  of  the  guns 
and  see  the  smoke  of  the  battle  over  the  tops  of  the 
low  pines  in  our  front,  and  I  was  ever  so  anxious  to 
get  closer  and  see  the  real  thing,  but  soldiers  cannot 
go  just  where  they  may  desire,  especially  when  a 
great  battle  is  in  progress. 

Early  in  the  day  I  saw  what  thrilled  me  no  lit 
tle.  It  was  the  first  blood  I  had  ever  seen  shed  on  a 
battlefield.  I  saw  coming  across  the  field,  moving 
quite  slowly,  a  man  leading  a  horse.  As  they  ap 
proached  I  saw  that  the  horse  was  limping,  and  the 
man  was  a  soldier.  The  horse  was  badly  wounded 
and  bleeding,  and  seemed  to  be  in  great  pain. 
Whenever  the  man  would  stop  the  horse  would  at 
tempt  to  lie  down.  I  wanted  to  go  to  him  and  put 
my  arms  around  his  neck  and  tell  him  he  was  a 
hero.  The  man  and  the  horse  passed  on;  there 


34  FROM  BULL  RUN  TO  APPOMATTOX. 

was  too  much  going  on  to  allow  a  single  wounded 
horse  to  absorb  all  of  one's  attention. 

Toward  the  afternoon  news  came  in  from  the 
front  that  our  army  was  beaten  and  was  in  full 
retreat. 

Every  available  man  was  called  from  the  camp, 
and  a  second  line  of  defense  was  formed,  behind 
which  the  retreating  army  could  rally  and  make 
another  stand.  It  was  then  that  I  began  to  realize 
what  war  was. 

About  five  o'clock  a  soldier  came  across  the  field 
from  the  front  with  a  gun  on  his  shoulder.  As  he 
came  up  to  our  line  someone  asked  him  how  the  bat 
tle  was  going.  He  replied,  "We've  got  them  on  the 
trot."  Then  there  was  wild  cheering;  the  soldier 
was  right.  McDowell's  army  was  beaten  and  in 
full  retreat  toward  Washington.  It  proved  to  be 
the  worst  rout  that  any  army  suffered  during  the 
Civil  War. 

At  one  stage  of  the  battle  it  had  looked  very  doubt 
ful  for  our  side.  Beauregard,  believing  that  he 
was  beaten,  had  ordered  his  forces  to  fall  back,  call 
ing  on  Johnston  to  cover  his  retreat.  But  the  arrival 
of  Elzey's  brigade  of  Johnston's  army  upon  the 
field  just  at  this  psychological  moment  turned  the 


FROM   BULL  RUN  TO  APPOMATTOX.  3$ 

battle  in  our  favor.  A  member  of  the  First  Mary 
land  Regiment,  forming  a  part  of  this  brigade,  has 
given  me  a  graphic  description  of  how  the  brigade 
was  hurried  from  the  railroad  station  at  Manassas, 
across  the  fields  for  five  miles  under  the  hot  July 
sun,  the  men  almost  famished  for  water  and  cov 
ered  with  dust,  most  of  the  distance  at  double-quick, 
toward  the  firing  line,  from  which  the  panic- 
stricken  Confederates  were  fleeing  in  great  dis 
order.  But  I  shall  only  narrate  what  I  saw  myself, 
and  will  not  quote  farther,  however  interesting  it 
may  be.  A  train  came  down  from  Richmond  about 
three  o'clock,  bringing  the  President  of  the  Con 
federacy,  Jefferson  Davis,  and  fresh  troops,  but 
they  arrived  too  late  to  be  of  any  special  service. 
I  saw  the  President  as  he  mounted  a  gray  horse, 
with  a  number  of  other  prominent  Confederates 
from  Richmond,  and  move  off  toward  the  battle 
field. 

A  short  time  after  this  they  began  to  bring  in  the 
wounded  from  the  front.  I  stood  by  and  saw  the 
pale  face  and  glassy  eyes  of  Gen.  Bee  as  they  took 
him  dying  from  the  ambulance  and  carried  him  into 
a  house  near  the  Junction.  It  was  he  who  an  hour 
or  so  before  had  said  to  his  retreating  troops,  "Look 


36  FROM  BULL  RUN  TO  APPOMATTOX. 

at  Jackson ;  he  stands  like  a  stone  wall."  That  night 
Gen.  Bee  died,  and  Jackson  was  ever  known  after 
ward  as  "Stonewall  Jackson." 

Yes,  the  Union  army  was  beaten,  and  their  re 
treat  developed  into  a  disastrous  rout,  although  they 
were  not  pursued  by  the  Confederates. 

"While  there  was  great  rejoicing  all  over  the 
South  on  account  of  this  splendid  victory  gained  by 
our  raw  recruits,  there  was  no  noisy  demonstration. 
Crowds  thronged  the  streets,  but  no  bonfires  lit  up 
the  darkness  of  the  night.  No  cannon  thundered 
out  salutes.  The  church  steeples  were  silent,  ex 
cept  when  in  solemn  tone  they  called  the  people  to 
prayer." 

The  next  day  the  Confederate  Congress  met  and 
passed  the  following  resolution: 

"We  recognize  the  hand  of  the  most  high  God, 
the  King  of  Kings  and  Lord  of  Lords,  in  the  glo 
rious  victory  with  which  he  has  crowned  our  armies 
at  Manassas,  and  that  the  people  of  these  Confed 
erate  States  are  invited  by  appropriate  services  on 
the  ensuing  Sabbath  to  offer  up  their  united  thanks 
giving  and  prayers  for  this  mighty  deliverance." 

The  losses  in  men  were  as  follows :  Union  army, 
3000;  Confederates,  2000.  The  latter  captured  27 


FROM   BULL  RUN  TO  APPOMATTOX.  37 

cannon,  1500  prisoners,  an  immense  quantity  of 
small  arms,  ammunition  and  stores. 

I  promptly  laid  aside  my  flint-lock  musket  and 
took  a  Springfield  rifle. 

I  am  often  amused  as  I  remember  some  of  the 
thoughts  that  passed  through  my  mind,  and  some 
of  the  things  I  did  on  this  momentous  occasion.  For 
instance,  we  were  ordered  to  "sleep  on  our  arms" 
the  night  whose  dawn  was  to  usher  in  the  battle. 
I  had  heard  a  good  deal  about  soldiers  obeying 
orders.  I  thought  of  "the  boy  who  stood  on  the 
burning  deck,"  so  when  I  lay  down  that  night  with 
old  Mother  Earth  for  a  bed,  I  found  myself  stretch 
ed  out  at  full  length  on  top  of  my  musket.  It  was  a 
little  rough,  but  the  mere  thought  of  being  a  soldier 
and  "sleeping  on  my  arms"  on  the  eve  of  battle 
made  my  bed  feel  as  soft  as  a  bed  of  roses.  And 
then  the  gun!  It  was  an  old  flint-lock  musket, 
minus  the  flint,  and  no  powder  or  ball.  But  I  was 
at  least  a  soldier  and  had  a  gun,  and  would  surely 
see  the  battle  and  could  write  home  all  about  it.  A 
soldier  seldom  ever  thinks  that  he  will  be  among 
the  slain;  he  may  be  wounded,  or  taken  prisoner, 
but  it  is  always  the  other  fellow  that  is  going  to  be 
killed. 


CHAPTER   III. 

From  Bull  Run  to  Seven  Pines  (Continued}. 

"You  have  called  us  and  we're  coming,  by  Richmond's  bloody  tide 
To  lay  us  down,  for  freedom's  sake,  our  brothers'  bones  beside." 

The  several  battles  around  Richmond  in  the 
spring  of  1862,  viz.,  Seven  Pines,  Mechanicsville, 
Beaver  Dam,  Malvern  Hill,  Games'  Mill,  I  have 
grouped  under  the  head  of  Seven  Pines. 

The  fall  and  winter  months  following  the  battle 
of  Bull  Run  were  spent  for  the  most  part  by  both 
sides  in  recruiting  their  armies  and  getting  ready 
for  a  desperate  struggle,  which  would  inevitably 
come  when  spring  arrived  the  following  year. 

Johnston's  army  a  few  days  after  the  battle  had  in 
creased  to  40,000.  He  moved  forward  and  occu 
pied  a  position  near  Centerville,  and  there  he  win 
tered.  Jackson,  however,  was  detached  and  sent 
back  to  Winchester  to  guard  the  valley,  and  became 
commander-in-chief  of  that  section.  The  forces 
that  came  down  from  Leesburg  returned  to  their 
old  position. 

There  were  occasional  raids  and  skirmishes,  but 


FROM  BULL  RUN  TO  APPOMATTOX.  39 

no  decisive  battles  were  fought  until  the  following 
spring,  except  the  battle  of  Ball's  Bluff,  near  Lees- 
burg,  in  which  battle  the  Eighth  Virginia  played  a 
conspicuous  part.  One  of  my  brothers  was  in  this 
battle,  and  several  of  my  schoolmates  were  killed 
and  wounded. 

During  the  winter  the  soldiers  were  granted  fre 
quent  furloughs,  the  militia  was  disbanded,  and  I 
went  back  home. 

But  when  the  birds  began  heralding  the  coming 
of  spring  there  was  a  call  from  the  Confederate 
Government  not  only  for  the  return  of  all  enlisted 
men  to  their  commands,  but  for  every  able-bodied 
white  male  citizen  between  the  ages  of  eighteen  and 
forty-five  to  enlist. 

I  started  out  from  Middleburg  with  Edwin 
Bailey  and  several  Marylanders,  the  latter  having 
crossed  the  Potomac  for  the  purpose  of  joining  the 
Confederate  army.  Bailey  was  already  a  member 
of  the  Eighth  Virginia  Infantry,  and  was  at  home 
on  furlough. 

My  destination  was  the  Sixth  Virginia  Cavalry, 
which  was  then  with  Stonewall  Jackson  in  the  val 
ley  of  Virginia.  This  regiment  was  in  Robinson's 
brigade,  Fitzhugh  Lee's  division,  the  whole  cavalry 


40  FROM  BULL  RUN  TO  APPOMATTOX. 

force  of  the  army  of  Northern  Virginia  being  com 
manded  by  Gen.  J.  E.  B.  Stuart.  I  was  on  horse 
back;  the  others  on  foot. 

The  Government  at  Washington  had  called  for 
half  a  million  men;  the  Government  at  Richmond 
had  called  for  every  able-bodied  son  from  eighteen 
to  forty-five,  and  they  were  coming.  From  hamlet 
and  villa,  from  the  lordly  mansion  and  mountain 
shack,  from  across  the  Potomac,  the  boys  and  young 
men  of  the  South  were  coming  in  answer  to  the  call. 
It  reminded  me  of  the  resurrection  morn,  except 
the  trooping  thousands  were  coming  from  the  top 
of  the  ground  and  not  from  under  it. 

The  nearest  point  at  which  I  could  reach  the 
Confederate  line  was  Harrisonburg,  Va.  All  the 
district  between  my  home  and  Harrisonburg,  and 
on  the  line  stretching  from  there  south  to  the  James 
river,  and  north  into  West  Virginia,  had  been  aban 
doned  to  the  enemy.  Hence,  it  was  necessary  for 
us  to  move  with  great  caution,  to  avoid  being  inter 
cepted  by  the  bluecoats.  The  little  caravan  moved 
up  the  pike  that  runs  from  Alexandria  across  the 
Blue  Ridge  into  the  valley  by  the  way  of  Upper- 
ville  and  Paris.  When  we  reached  the  mountain 
at  Paris  we  moved  along  its  foot,  traveling  mostly 


FROM   BULL  RUN  TO  APPOMATTOX.  41 

by  night  and  resting  by  day,  hiding  ourselves  in  the 
heavy  timber  that  stretched  along  the  slopes  of  the 
mountain.  We  had  no  trouble  procuring  food 
from  the  little  farm  houses  that  we  passed.  Occa 
sionally  we  employed  a  guide,  whom  we  paid. 
These  guides  took  great  pains  to  magnify  the  dan 
ger  that  surrounded  us,  and  told  us  of  the  narrow 
escapes  of  other  caravans  that  had  preceded  us. 
This  was  done  in  order  to  draw  as  large  a  fee  from 
us  as  possible.  The  distance  to  Harrisonburg 
was  about  100  miles.  We  finally  reached  our  des 
tination. 

During  the  winter  and  early  spring  the  North 
had  raised  a  very  large  army,  splendidly  equipped, 
and  placed  under  the  command  of  Gen.  George  B. 
McClellan.  This  army  was  taken  mostly  by  boat 
to  a  point  on  the  James  river,  from  which  point  it 
took  up  a  line  of  march  toward  Richmond.  Mc- 
Clellan's  army  was  the  largest  and  best  equipped 
that  had  ever  trod  American  soil. 

McClellan  was  the  idol  of  the  North,  and  there 
was  very  little  doubt  in  the  minds  of  the  Northern 
people  that  when  he  met  the  Confederate  forces  de 
fending  Richmond  the  Capital  of  the  Confed- 


42  FROM  BULL  RUN  TO  APPOMATTOX. 

eracy  would  be  captured,  and  the  army  defending 
it  destroyed  or  forced  to  surrender. 

The  Confederate  forces  gradually  fell  back  be 
fore  McClellan's  army  as  it  advanced  along  the 
James  river,  until  the  invaders  could  see  the  spires 
of  the  Confederate  Capitol. 

McClellan's  march  was  along  a  thorny  path. 
Johnston  had  withdrawn  his  army  from  Center- 
ville,  and  was  in  McClellan's  front  contesting  every 
foot  of  ground.  There  were  several  battles  fought, 
conspicuous  among  them  the  Battle  of  Seven  Pines, 
where  Gen.  Joseph  E.  Johnston  was  severely 
wounded,  and  was  not  able  for  some  months  to  re 
turn  to  active  service.  It  was  then  that  Gen.  Robt. 
E.  Lee  took  command  of  the  army  of  Northern 
Virginia.  Immediately  upon  assuming  command, 
Gen.  Lee  conferred  with  Jackson,  who  was  still  in 
the  valley,  and  arranged  with  him  for  a  joint  attack 
upon  the  Union  army  in  front  of  Richmond. 

Jackson  had  won  imperishable  honors  in  the  val 
ley,  having  so  paralyzed  three  armies  that  had  been 
sent  out  to  accomplish  his  destruction  that  he  was 
able  to  slip  unobserved  away  from  their  front  with 
almost  his  entire  army.  He  crossed  the  Blue  Ridge 
and  marched  rapidly  to  Richmond.  Reaching 


FROM  BULL  RUN  TO  APPOMATTOX.  43 

Ashland,  he  halted  for  the  night,  and,  mounting  a 
fresh  horse  and  taking  with  him  two  of  his  trusted 
officers,  he  rode  through  the  darkness  to  Richmond, 
held  a  conference  with  Gen.  Lee  and  Jefferson 
Davis.  Returning,  he  rejoined  his  army  and 
marched  toward  McClellan's  right  flank  and  rear. 
McClellan  was  all  unconscious  of  Jackson's  ap 
proach.  Hearing  the  booming  of  Jackson's  guns, 
McClellan  inquired  what  it  meant.  "It  is  Jack 
son,"  said  a  courier.  "Impossible,"  said  McClellan. 
When  McClellan  fully  realized  that  it  was  Jack 
son's  army  from  the  valley  that  "was  goring  his 
side  like  the  horns  of  an  angry  bull,"  it  is  said  that 
the  scene  at  his  headquarters  was  intensely  dra 
matic.  From  information  received  from  Washing 
ton,  McClellan  had  every  reason  to  believe  that 
Jackson  and  his  entire  army  were  either  prisoners 
or  cooped  up  somewhere  in  the  valley  north  of 
Harrisonburg,  but  as  the  sound  of  Jackson's  guns 
grew  louder  and  nearer,  and  courie/s  with  panting 
steeds  came  dashing  in  confirming  the  truth,  he  was 
forced  to  believe  that  the  noise  was  Jackson's  "can 
non's  opening  roar."  "Then  there  was  hurrying 
to  and  fro  and  mounting  in  hot  haste."  Never  did 


44  FROM  BULL  RUN  TO  APPOMATTOX. 

human  brain  work  quicker  than  did  McClellan's 
when  he  realized  his  position.  Who  but  a  Napo 
leon  could  provide  so  quickly  for  such  an  emer 
gency?  The  masterly  manner  in  which  McClellan 
changed  his  base  and  saved  his  army,  with  three 
such  strategists  as  Jackson,  Lee  and  Johnston  to 
reckon  with,  showed  military  skill  of  the  highest 
order. 

Someone  in  conversation  with  Gen.  Lee  after  the 
war  asked  who  was  the  greatest  soldier  on  the  side 
of  the  North.  Lee  replied,  "McClellan,  by  all 
odds."  The  fact  is,  the  Government  at  Washington 
never  gave  McClellan  a  fair  chance.  Gen.  Lee 
came  to  Richmond  from  West  Virginia,  where  his 
campaign  had  been  a  failure,  and  was  elevated  at 
once  to  the  most  important  post  in  the  Confederate 
army,  while  McClellan  was  humiliated  by  being 
relieved  of  his  command  just  at  a  time  when  he  was 
prepared  by  experience  to  put  into  use  his  great 
talent.  History  is  bound  to  record  him  a  place 
among  the  famous  generals. 

The  battle  lasted  seven  full  days.  The  Confed 
erate  victory  was  complete.  Millions  of  dollars' 
worth  of  supplies  were  captured  or  destroyed,  and 
McClellan  was  compelled  to  beat  a  hasty  retreat 
to  Washington  to  defend  the  city. 


FROM  BULL  RUN  TO  APPOMATTOX.  4$ 

The  spoils  of  this  battle  that  fell  into  the  hands 
of  the  Confederates  were  10,000  prisoners,  35,000 
rifles,  55  cannon,  ammunition,  provision  stores  of 
every  kind,  almost  beyond  computation.  The  losses 
of  the  two  armies  in  killed  and  wounded  were 
nearly  equal — about  10,000  each. 

Some  idea  can  be  formed  of  the  captured  stores 
when  it  is  remembered  that  to  provide  for  an  army 
such  as  McClellan's,  600  tons  of  ammunition,  food, 
forage  and  medical  supplies  had  to  be  forwarded 
from  Washington  every  day.  If  he  kept  a  thirty 
days'  supply  on  hand,  we  have  the  enormous  sum  of 
18,000  tons  that  either  fell  into  the  hands  of  the 
Confederates  or  was  destroyed. 

When  I  reached  Harrisonburg  I  found  the  Sixth 
Virginia  Cavalry  had  left  the  valley  with  Jackson's 
army.  I  followed  as  rapidly  as  possible,  and  met 
the  regiment  at  Gordonsville,  with  Jackson's  army, 
coming  back  from  the  battle  and  hurrying  on  to 
ward  Manassas  to  attack  Pope,  who  had  gathered 
an  army  there  to  protect  Washington  while  Mc- 
Clellan  was  besieging  Richmond.  I  joined  Com 
pany  A  of  the  Sixth  Virginia  Cavalry  and  felt  that 
I  was  a  full-fledged  cavalryman  and  was  ready  to 
take  part  in  anything  that  the  regiment  was  called 
upon  to  do. 


CHAPTER   IV. 

From  Seven  Pines  to  Antletam 

"On  that  pleasant  morn  of  early  fall, 

When  Lee  marched  over  the  mountain  wall." 

"Over  the  mountains,  winding  down, 
Horse  and  foot  into  Frederick  town." 

A  part  of  Pope's  army,  under  Banks,  had  been 
pushed  forward  as  far  as  Cedar  Run,  about  half 
way  between  Manassas  and  Gordonsville.  Jackson 
met  this  force  and  scattered  it  like  chaff,  and  then 
moved  rapidly  toward  Manassas.  He  did  not  move 
in  a  straight  line,  but  made  a  detour  to  the  left,  and 
by  rapid  marches  placed  his  army  in  the  rear  of 
Pope  at  Manassas. 

One  day  the  army  covered  forty  miles.  Riding 
along  the  dusty  highway,  Jackson  noticed  a  sore- 
foot,  barefoot  infantryman,  limping  along,  trying 
to  keep  upwith  his  command.  Cominguptohim,he 
dismounted  and  told  the  soldier  to  mount  his  horse, 
while  he  trudged  along  by  his  side.  The -next  day 
the  same  soldier  was  found  among  the  dead,  with 
his  face  turned  up  to  the  sun,  having  given  his  life 


FROM  BULL  RUN  TO  APPOMATTOX.  47 

for  the  man  who  gave  him  a  lift.  It  was  this  lift 
that  had  cost  him  his  life;  but  for  it,  he  would  have 
been  among  the  stragglers,  too  late  for  the  battle. 

My  command,  during  the  march,  got  in  frequent 
touch  with  the  enemy,  and  at  one  point,  namely, 
Catletts  Station,  on  the  Orange  and  Alexandria 
Railroad,  came  very  near  capturing  Gen.  Pope 
himself.  We  got  into  his  camp  at  night  and  into 
his  tent,  and  took  his  boots  and  spurs,  and  papers 
that  gave  Jackson  some  valuable  information. 

As  soon  as  Gen.  Lee  was  satisfied  that  McClellan 
was  well  on  his  way  toward  Washington,  he  put 
his  whole  army  in  motion  and  moved  rapidly  to 
join  Jackson,  who  would  sorely  need  him  in  his 
attack  upon  Pope  at  Manassas ;  in  fact,  Jackson  had 
halted  after  the  battle  of  Cedar  Run  for  a  day  or 
two  to  allow  Gen.  Lee  to  come  up. 

An  event  occurred  during  this  battle  around 
Richmond  that  brought  sorrow  to  my  home.  My 
brother  Howard  was  slightly  wounded  in  the  arm, 
taken  to  the  hospital  at  Richmond,  and  died  in  a 
few  days  of  a  malignant  fever,  andwas  buried  some 
where  among  the  unknown  dead  around  Richmond. 
The  family  made  several  attempts  to  locate  his 
grave,  but  were  unsuccessful. 


48  FROM  BULL  RUN  TO  APPOMATTOX. 

"On  fame's  eternal  camping  ground, 

His  silent  tent  is  spread; 
While  glory  guards  with  solemn  round 

The  bivouac  of  the  dead." 

His  picture  on  the  opposite  page  is  from  an  old 
daguerreotype,  taken  just  before  entering  the  Con 
federate  service. 

This  move  of  Jackson's  to  the  rear  of  Pope  at 
Manassas  enabled  him  to  capture  many  carloads 
of  supplies  and  munitions  of  war,  greatly  assisting 
the  armies  of  Lee  and  Jackson  in  their  undertaking. 
A  goodly  portion  of  McClellan's  army  had  em 
barked  at  Occoquan  and  marched  across  to  the  as 
sistance  of  Pope.  Notwithstanding  this  fact,  the 
combined  armies  of  Lee  and  Jackson  were  more 
than  a  match  for  Pope,  and  he  was  defeated  and 
his  army  routed,  leaving  over  9000  of  his  dead  and 
wounded  on  the  field.  His  entire  loss,  as  given  by 
the  "New  Standard  Encyclopedia,"  which  in 
cluded  prisoners,  was  20,000,  while  the  Confeder 
ates',  by  the  same  authority,  is  placed  at  12,000 

There  fell  into  the  hands  of  the  Confederates 
7000  prisoners,  30  cannon,  20,000  rifles.  The  cap 
tured  stores,  including  two  miles  of  loaded  cars  on 


ROBERT    HOWARD    HOPKINS. 


FROM  BULL  RUN  TO  APPOMATTOX.  49 

the  track,  were  enormous,  much  of  which  the  Con 
federates  had  to  burn. 

This  is  called  the  Second  Battle  of  Manassas  to 
distinguish  it  from  the  first  battle  fought  on  the 
same  ground,  and  called  by  the  North  the  Battle 
of  Bull  Run,  but  by  the  South  as  the  First  Battle 
of  Manassas. 

Pope  lost  no  time  in  getting  behind  his  intrench- 
ments  at  Washington.  My  command  took  part  in 
the  battle,  and  made  a  charge  just  as  the  sun  was 
dropping  behind  the  horizon.  Lee  did  not  follow 
Pope  toward  Washington,  but  moved  in  a  straight 
line  toward  the  Upper  Potomac,  leaving  Washing 
ton  to  his  right. 

At  this  time  my  company  was  detached  from  the 
Sixth  Regiment  and  made  a  bodyguard  to  Gen. 
Lee.  We  kept  close  to  his  person  both  night  and 
day. 

Part  of  the  time  Gen.  Lee  rode  in  an  ambulance 
with  both  hands  bandaged,  his  horse,  "Traveler," 
having  fallen  over  a  log  and  crippled  Lee's  hands. 
This  gave  me  a  good  opportunity  of  seeing  the 
great  soldier  at  close  range. 

I  remember  one  afternoon,  when  toward  sunset 
the  army  having  gone  into  camp  for  the  night,  Gen. 


50  FROM  BULL  RUN  TO  APPOMATTOX. 

Lee's  headquarters  being  established  in  a  litle  farm 
house  near  Chantilla,  I  think  in  Loudoun  county, 
the  General  went  out  with  one  of  his  staff  officers 
for  a  walk  into  an  apple  orchard.  They  were  gone 
perhaps  an  hour.  In  the  meantime  a  guard  had 
been  set  around  the  cottage  with  instructions  to  let 
none  pass  without  an  order  from  Gen.  Lee. 

When  Gen.  Lee  returned  with  his  aid  by  his 
side,  he  was  halted  by  Frank  Peak  (a  member  of 
my  company,  now  living  in  Alexandria,  Va.). 
They  both  halted,  and  Peak  said  to  them,  "My  in 
structions  are  to  let  none  pass  without  an  order 
from  Gen.  Lee."  Gen.  Lee  turned  to  his  aid  and 
said,  "Stop,  the  sentinel  has  halted  us."  The  officer 
(I  think  it  was  Col.  Marshall,  who  afterward  lived 
in  Baltimore,  and  died  there  not  long  ago)  stepped 
forward  and  said,  "This  is  Gen.  Lee  himself,  who 
gives  all  orders."  Peak  saluted  them,  and  they 
passed  on. 

Before  day  the  next  morning  the  army  was  in 
motion  toward  Maryland,  Gen.  Lee  still  riding  in 
the  ambulance,  very  much,  no  doubt,  to  the  chagrin 
of  "Traveler,"  who  was  led  by  a  soldier,  just  behind 
the  ambulance. 

Owing  to  the  hard-fought  battles  around  Rich- 


FROM   BULL  RUN   TO  APPOMATTOX.  51 

mond,  Cedar  Run  and  Manassas  (which  followed 
each  other  in  rapid  succession) ,  and  the  long,  weary 
marches  through  the  hot  July  days,  of  ten  far  into  the 
night,  many  of  Lee's  soldiers,  who  were  foot-sore 
and  broken  down,  straggled  from  the  ranks,  being 
unable  to  keep  up  with  the  stronger  men.  So  great 
was  the  number  that  it  was  said  that  half  his  army 
were  straggling  along  the  roads  and  through  the 
fields,  subsisting  as  they  could  on  fruits  and  berries, 
and  whatever  food  they  could  get  from  farm 
houses. 

As  the  army  crossed  the  Potomac  (four  miles 
east  of  Leesburg)  Gen.  Lee  had  to  make  some  pro 
vision  for  the  stragglers.  It  would  not  do  to  let 
them  follow  the  army  into  the  enemy's  country,  be 
cause  they  would  all  be  captured.  He  concluded 
to  abandon  his  bodyguard  and  leave  it  at  the  river, 
with  instructions  to  turn  the  stragglers  and  tell 
them  to  move  toward  Winchester,  beyond  the  Shen- 
andoah.  This  was  the  point,  no  douot,  that  Gen. 
Lee  had  fixed  as  the  place  to  which  he  would  bring 
his  army  when  his  Maryland  campaign  was  over. 

It  was  with  much  regret  that  we  had  to  give  up 
our  post  of  honor  as  guard  to  the  head  of  the  army 


52  FROM  BULL  RUN  TO  APPOMATTOX. 

to  take  charge  of  sore-footed  stragglers.  But  a  sol 
dier's  duty  is  to  obey  orders. 

The  army  crossed  the  river  into  Maryland,  and 
we  were  kept  busy  for  a  week  sending  the  stragglers 
toward  Winchester. 

Some  bore  wounds  received  in  the  battles  men 
tioned,  and  their  bandages  in  many  cases  still  show 
ed  the  dried  blood  as  evidence  that  they  had  not  al 
ways  been  stragglers.  Some  were  sick,  and  some  too 
lame  to  walk,  and  it  became  necessary  for  us  to  go 
out  among  the  farmers  and  procure  wagons  to  haul 
the  disabled.  In  doing  so,  it  was  my  duty  to  call  on 
an  old  Quaker  family  by  the  name  of  Janney,  near 
Goose  Creek  meeting-house,  Loudoun  county, 
and  get  his  four-horse  wagon  and  order  it  to  Lees- 
burg.  This  I  did  in  good  soldier  style,  not  appre 
ciating  the  old  adage  that  "Chickens  come  home  to 


roost." 


After  seeing  the  wagon  on  the  road,  accompanied 
by  Friend  Janney,  who  rode  on  horseback  (the 
wagon  being  driven  by  his  hired  man),  I  went  to 
other  farms,  doing  the  same  thing.  Thus  the 
lame,  sick  and  sore-footed  and  the  rag-and-tag  were 
pushed  on,  shoved  on  and  hauled  on  toward  Win 
chester. 


FROM  BULL  RUN  TO  APPOMATTOX.  53 

Some  years  after  this  I  had  occasion  to  visit  the 
same  spot,  in  company  with  a  young  lady. 

It  was  the  Friends'  quarterly  meeting  time  at 
Goose  Creek.  We  attended  the  services,  and,  of 
course,  were  invited  out  to  dinner.  It  fell  to  our 
lot  to  dine  at  the  home  of  Friend  Janney,  from 
whom  I  had  taken  the  wagon.  I  did  not  recognize 
the  house  or  the  family  until  I  was  painfully  re 
minded  of  it  in  the  following  manner: 

We  were  seated  at  a  long  table  in  the  dining- 
room  (I  think  there  were  at  least  twenty  at  the 
table),  and  several  young  ladies  were  acting  as 
waitresses.  I  was  quite  bashful  in  those  days,  but 
was  getting  along  very  nicely,  until  one  of  the 
young  waitresses,  perhaps  with  no  intention  of  em 
barrassing  me,  focusing  her  mild  blue  eyes  upon 
mine,  said,  "I  think  I  recognize  thee  as  one  of  the 
soldiers  who  took  our  wagon  and  team  for  the  use 
of  Lee's  army,  en  route  for  Maryland."  I  did  not 
look  up,  but  felt  that  twice  twenty  eyes  were  cen 
tered  on  me.  I  cannot  recall  what  I  said,  but  I  am 
sure  I  pleaded  guilty;  besides,  I  felt  that  all  the 
blood  in  my  body  had  gone  to  my  face,  and  that 
every  drop  was  crying  out,  "Yes,  he's  the  very  fel- 


54  FROM  BULL  RUN  TO  APPOMATTOX. 

low."    It  spoiled  my  dinner,  but  they  all  seemed  to 
think  it  was  a  good  joke  on  me. 

Quakers,  it  must  be  remembered,  were  not  as  a 
rule  in  sympathy  with  the  secession  movement, 
which  greatly  intensified  the  discomfort  of  my  posi 
tion.  My  companion,  however,  although  a  mem 
ber  of  that  society,  never  deserted  me,  and  sometime 
afterward  became  more  to  me  than  a  friend;  she 
has  been  faithful  ever  since,  and  is  now  sitting  by 
me  as  I  write  these  lines. 

Now  I  must  go  back  to  war  scenes. 

I  cannot  remember,  of  course,  just  the  day,  but 
while  we  were  busy  gathering  up  these  stragglers 
we  could  distinctly  hear  the  booming  of  the  guns 
that  told  us  the  two  armies  had  met  and  that  there 
was  heavy  fighting  on  Maryland  soil. 

The  first  sounds  came  from  toward  Harper's 
Ferry,  and  we  soon  afterward  learned  the  result. 

Jackson  had  been  detached  from  the  main  army, 
had  surrounded  and  captured  Harper's  Ferry,  tak 
ing  13,000  prisoners  and  many  army  supplies. 
Among  the  prisoners  was  A.  W.  Green  of  New 
York,  who  afterward  became  pastor  of  my  church, 
St.  John's,  corner  Madison  avenue  and  Laurens 
street,  Baltimore. 


FROM  BULL  RUN  TO  APPOMATTOX.  5$ 

Mr.  Green  says  that  when  the  prisoners  were  all 
lined  up,  Jackson  rode  along  their  front  and  tried 
to  comfort  them  as  best  he  could.  He  said,  "Men, 
this  is  the  fate  of  war;  it  is  you  today,  it  may  be  us 
tomorrow."  After  paroling  his  prisoners,  Jackson 
hurried  to  rejoin  Lee,  who  was  being  hotly  pressed 
by  McClellan  at  Antietam.  Lee's  united  forces 
at  this  time  could  not  have  numbered  over  40,000 
men,  while  McClellan,  who  was  still  in  command 
of  the  Union  army,  had  a  force  of  over  100,000. 

McClellan  made  the  attack,  was  repulsed  with 
terrible  loss,  but  the  North  claimed  the  victory,  be 
cause  Lee  retired  during  the  second  night  after  the 
battle  and  recrossed  the  Potomac,  falling  back  to 
Winchester,  where  he  was  reinforced  by  the  strag 
glers  who  had  been  gathering  there  for  two  wreeks 
or  more.  -r-v^^ 

This  series  of  battles,  beginning  with  Richmond 
in  the  spring  and  ending  at  Antietam  in  the  early 
fall,  had  so  exhausted  the  armies  that  both  sides 
were  glad  to  take  a  rest.  They  had  been  marching 
and  fighting  from  early  spring  all  through  the 
summer,  and  were  thoroughly  exhausted. 
LEE'S  ARMY  IN  A  TRAP. 

We  have  all  heard  of  the  famous  lost  dispatch 
that  was  picked  up  in  the  streets  of  Frederick,  Md., 


56  FROM  BULL  RUN  TO  APPOMATTOX. 

after  the  place  had  been  evacuated  by  the  Confed 
erates.  It  was  called  "Special  Order  No.  191."  A 
copy  of  this  order  was  sent  by  Gen.  Lee  to  each  of 
his  generals.  The  one  intended  for  Gen.  A.  P.  Hill 
never  reached  him.  It  was  dropped  by  a  courier 
and  fell  into  the  hands  of  Gen.  McClellan.  This 
telltale  slip  of  paper  that  might  have  ended  the 
war  was  found  wrapped  around  two  cigars.  It  read 
as  follows : 

"Headquarters   Army  of   Northern   Virginia,   near   Frederick,    Md. 

"September  9,  1862. 
"Special  Order  No.  191. 

"The  army  will  resume  its  march  tomorrow,  taking  the  Hagers- 
town  road.  General  Jackson's  command  will  form  the  advance,  and, 
after  passing  Middletown,  with  such  portion  as  he  may  select,  take 
the  route  toward  Sharpsburg,  cross  the  Potomac  at  the  most  con 
venient  point,  and,  by  Friday  night,  take  possession  of  the  Baltimore 
&  Ohio  Railroad,  capture  such  of  the  enemy  as  may  be  at  Martins- 
burg,  and  intercept  such  as  may  attempt  to  escape  from  Harper's 
Ferry. 

"General  Longstreet's  command  will  pursue  the  same  road  as  far 
as  Boonsborough,  where  it  will  halt  with  the  reserve,  supply  and 
baggage  trains  of  the  army. 

"General  McLaws,  with  his  own  division  and  that  of  General  R. 
H.  Anderson,  will  follow  General  Longstreet.  On  reaching  Middle- 
town  he  will  take  the  route  to  Harper's  Ferry,  and  by  Friday  morn 
ing  possess  himself  of  the  Maryland  Heights  and  endeavor  to  cap 
ture  the  enemy  at  Harper's  Ferry  and  vicinity. 

"General  Walker,  with  his  division,  after  accomplishing  the  ob 
ject  in  which  he  is  now  engaged,  will  cross  the  Potomac  at  Cheek's 
Ford,  ascend  its  right  bank  to  Lovettsville,  take  possession  of  Lou- 
doun  Heights,  if  practicable,  by  Friday  morning,  Key's  Ford  on  his 
left,  and  the  road  between  the  end  of  the  mountain  and  the  Potomac 
on  his  right.  He  will,  as  far  as  practicable,  co-operate  with  General 
McLaws  and  General  Jackson  in  intercepting  the  retreat  of  the 
enemy 

"General  D.  H.  Hill's  division  will  form  the  rear  guard  of  the 
army,  pursuing  the  road  taken  by  the  main  body.  The  reserve  ar 
tillery,  ordnance,  supply-trains,  etc.,  will  precede  General  Hill. 


FROM   BULL  RUN   TO  APPOMATTOX.  57 

"General  Stuart  will  detach  a  squadron  of  cavalry  to  accompany 
the  commands  of  Generals  Longstreet,  Jackson  and  McLaws,  and 
with  the  main  body  of  the  cavalry  will  cover  the  route  of  the  army 
and  bring  up  all  stragglers  that  may  have  been  left  behind. 

"The  commands  of  Generals  Jackson,  McLaws  and  Walker,  after 
accomplishing  the  objects  for  which  they  have  been  detached,  will 
join  the  main  body  of  the  army  at  Boonsborough  or  Hagerstown. 

"Each  regiment  on  the  march  will  habitually  carry  its  axes  in 
the  regimental  ordnance  wagons  for  use  of  the  men  at  their  encamp 
ments  to  procure  wood,  etc. 

"By  command  of  GENERAL  R.  E.  LEE." 

With  this  document  in  his  hands  and  with  Lee's 
army  divided  as  it  was,  McClellan  felt  that  his  hour 
of  triumph  had  come.  He  sent  the  following  dis 
patch  to  President  Lincoln : 

*  *  *  "I  have  all  the  plans  of  the  rebels,  and 
will  catch  them  in  their  own  trap.  *  *  *  Gen 
eral  Lee's  order  to  his  army  accidentally  came  into 
my  hands  this  evening,  and  discloses  his  plan  of 
campaign." 

The  destruction  of  Lee's  army  at  this  time  would 
certainly  have  ended  hostilities.  Gen.  Longstreet 
was  opposed  to  the  movement  against  Harper's 
Ferry.  He  said  it  was  fraught  with  too  much  dan 
ger.  It  was  rendered  much  more  so  when  McClel 
lan  came  into  possession  of  Lee's  plans.  But  Lee 
was  too  good  a  soldier  not  to  be  prepared  for  such 
an  emergency.  McClellan  was  repulsed;  Lee  re- 
crossed  the  river  unmolested,  paroled  his  Harper's 
Ferry  prisoners,  secured  73  cannon,  13,000  rifles, 
several  hundred  wagons  and  quantities  of  stores. 


CHAPTER  V. 

From  Antietam  to  Ghancellorsville. 

"  f  wo  armies  covered  hill  and  plain, 

Where  Rappahannock's  waters 
Ran  deeply  crimsoned  with  the  stain 

Of  battle's  recent  slaughters." 

After  resting  a  while  at  Winchester  Lee's  army 
began  its  march  leisurely  back  toward  Richmond, 
and  took  up  a  position  near  Fredericksburg,  a  point 
about  half  way  between  Washington  and  Rich 
mond. 

McClellan  was  relieved  of  his  command,  and 
Gen.  Burnside  took  his  place  and  gathered  a  large 
army  in  front  of  Fredericksburg  on  the  Rappahan- 
nock  river. 

About  the  middle  of  December  Burnside  crossed 
the  river  at  Fredericksburg  by  means  of  pontoon 
bridges  and  attacked  Lee  and  Jackson  just  outside 
of  the  town  of  Fredericksburg. 

A  severe  battle  was  fought,  and  Burnside  was  de 
feated  with  terrible  loss.  He  recrossed  the  river 
and  wept  when  he  contemplated  the  awful  slaugh 
ter  that  had  been  made  in  his  army.  This  ended 


58 


FROM  BULL  RUN  TO  APPOMATTOX.  59 

the  campaign  of  1862.  It  is  said  that  more  soldiers 
fell  in  this  battle  in  four  hours  than  were  killed  in 
the  entire  Boer  War.  The  historian  has  placed 
Burnside's  losses  at  12,311 ;  Lee's  at  5409. 

Both  armies  went  into  winter  quarters,  and  there 
was  no  general  battle  until  the  next  spring,  but  fre 
quent  skirmishes  between  bodies  of  cavalry  on  both 
sides  as  they  marched  to  and  fro  protecting  their 
respective  encampments. 

From  Harper's  Ferry  to  Staunton,  Va.,  stretches 
a  part  of  the  Blue  Ridge  mountains  that  played  a 
conspicuous  part  in  the  war. 

The  mountain  is  impassable  for  armies  except 
through  the  gaps  that  occur  every  twenty  to  thirty 
miles.  These  gaps  were  always  closely  guarded  by 
the  Confederates,  and  through  them  the  armies 
frequently  marched  and  counter-marched  as  occa 
sion  required. 

If  Jackson  needed  reinforcements  in  the  valley, 
they  were  sent  to  him  through  one  of  these  gaps; 
and  on  the  other  hand,  if  the  armies  defending 
Richmond  needed  reinforcements,  it  was  Jackson's 
custom  to  give  the  enemy  a  stinging  blow  and  send 
him  in  full  retreat  down  the  valley  toward  Wash 
ington,  then  cross  through  one  of  these  gaps  with 


60  FROM   BULL  RUN  TO  APPOMATTOX. 

a  portion  of  his  army  and  reinforce  the  armies  de 
fending  Richmond. 

When  the  armies  fell  back  from  Winchester  my 
company  of  cavalry  was  left  to  guard  the  Blue- 
mount  gap,  then  called  Snickersville.  A  little  later 
the  gap  was  abandoned,  and  we  were  ordered  to 
Ashby's  gap,  farther  up  the  valley,  where  we  en 
camped  near  the  little  town  of  Paris,  at  the  foot 
of  the  mountain,  and  put  out  our  pickets  on  the  east 
side  of  the  mountain  below  Upperville  on  the  pike 
that  leads  through  Middleburg  and  on  to  Alexan 
dria,  Va.,  just  under  the  shadow  of  the  capital  of 
the  Northern  nation,  I  will  call  it. 

One  day  our  pickets  reported  "the  enemy's  cav 
alry  advancing  up  the  pike  toward  Upperville." 
Our  captain  (Bruce  Gibson)  ordered  the  bugle 
sounded,  and  90  to  100  men  wrere  soon  in  the  saddle 
and  on  the  march  to  meet  the  enemy. 

It  was  four  miles  to  Upperville,  and  as  we  ap 
proached  the  town  we  could  distinctly  see  the 
enemy's  cavalry  filling  the  streets. 

We  halted  at  a  point  just  opposite  the  home  of 
our  captain  (where  the  family  were  on  the  porch 
watching  the  movements  of  both  sides).  Many  of 
the  men  of  the  company  lived  in  that  neighborhood. 


FROM   BULL  RUN  TO  APPOMATTOX.  6 1 

It  was  only  eight  miles  from  my  home,  hence  this 
was  no  place  to  show  the  "white  feather." 

I  was  riding  a  fiery  young  mare.  She  was  never 
satisfied  unless  she  was  a  little  ahead.  She  had  a 
jaw  that  no  bit  could  hold. 

The  captain  ordered  us  to  move  forward,  and  as 
we  approached  the  town,  four  abreast,  our  speed 
was  increased  to  a  trot,  then  to  a  gallop. 

To  the  best  of  my  recollection  my  position  was 
about  the  middle  of  the  command,  but  in  spite  of 
my  tugging  at  the  bit,  my  young  steed  carried  me 
up  to  the  front,  and  when  we  got  close  enough  to 
the  enemy  to  see  the  whites  of  their  eyes,  I  was  a 
little  closer  to  them  than  I  wanted  to  be,  and  I'll 
frankly  confess  it  wasn't  bravery  that  put  me  there. 
We  were  close  enough  to  discover  that  we  were 
running  into  a  whole  regiment  of  Union  cavalry, 
and  if  we  had  continued,  it  would  have  meant  an 
nihilation. 

The  captain  ordered  right  about,  retreat!  At 
this  point  to  get  those  100  horses  turned  around  in 
that  street  and  get  out  of  the  reach  of  1000  guns  in 
the  hands  of  1000  Bluecoats,  was  a  knotty  problem. 
If  the  enemy  had  charged  us  just  at  this  time,  our 
destruction  would  have  been  just  as  complete  as 


62  FROM  BULL  RUN  TO  APPOMATTOX. 

it  would  have  been  if  we  had  gone  ahead ;  but  they 
hesitated.  Perhaps  they  were  afraid  of  running 
into  a  trap. 

I  ran  my  horse  up  against  a  pump,  and  finally 
got  turned  around,  and  was  soon  leaving  my  com 
rades  behind  me,  for  she  was  fleet  of  foot.  But  all 
at  once  I  felt  my  steed  going  down  under  me.  I 
thought  that  she  was  shot,  but  did  not  have  much 
time  to  think  about  it,  for  I  was  soon  for  a  few 
minutes  unconscious.  My  horse  had  tripped  and 
fallen,  and,  of  course,  I  could  not  keep  the  saddle, 
going  at  a  speed  like  that.  The  horse  just  behind 
leaped  over  me,  horse  and  all  (so  the  rider  after 
ward  told  me).  When  I  came  to  myself  I  was 
standing  in  the  middle  of  the  road  with  a  crowd  of 
Yankees  around  me,  among  them  the  colonel  of  the 
regiment.  I  was  holding  in  my  hand  the  handle  of 
my  pistol,  the  barrel  of  which  had  been  broken  off 
by  the  fall.  When  called  upon  to  surrender  my 
arms  I  meekly  handed  up  this  handle,  scarcely 
knowing  what  I  was  doing.  One  of  the  Yankees 
said,  "I  don't  want  that,  I  want  your  arms."  My 
arms  consisted  of  a  sabre,  a  short  cavalry  gun  and 
another  pistol,  that  remained  in  its  holder. 

With  some  assistance  I  unbuckled  my  belt  and 


FROM  BULL  RUN  TO  APPOMATTOX.  63 

gave  up  my  arms.  The  colonel  asked  me  if  I  was 
hurt,  and  some  other  questions  which  I  cannot  now 
recall. 

His  own  horse  had  been  down  on  its  knees,  which 
were  badly  skinned.  He  dismounted  and  mounted 
another  horse  that  had  been  brought  to  him,  and 
told  me  I  could  have  the  use  of  his  horse.  I  mount 
ed  with  some  difficulty,  and  was  taken  to  the  rear. 
There  was  very  little  firing;  only  one  man  was 
killed  and  one  horse  on  our  side. 

My  horse,  they  afterwrard  told  me,  passed 
through  the  command  and  did  not  stop  until  she 
got  to  Paris,  four  miles  beyond. 

The  Yankees  remained  only  a  short  time,  when 
they  began  their  retreat  down  the  pike  with  one 
lone  prisoner,  myself.  On  the  way  they  picked  up 
three  or  four  citizens,  which  gave  me  some  com 
pany. 

It  was  quite  dark  when  we  reached  Middleburg, 
and  the  command  halted  in  the  town  for  an  hour, 
during  which  time  I  sat  on  my  horse  just  in  front  of 
the  house  now  occupied  by  Edwin  LeRoy  Broun. 

I  could  see  the  lights  in  the  windows  and  see  the 
family  moving  about,  among  them  my  sister.  I 
made  no  effort  to  make  myself  known.  After  an 


64  FROM   BULL  RUN  TO  APPOMATTOX. 

hour's  wait  the  command  moved  down  the  pike  to 
ward  Washington,  arriving  at  Fairfax  Courthouse 
about  midnight,  where  they  went  into  camp.  The 
next  morning  some  15  or  20  prisoners  were  brought 
in  and  put  in  an  old  log  schoolhouse.  We  remain 
ed  there  all  that  day,  and  the  next  day  the  citizens 
were  released,  and  the  soldier  prisoners  (about  a 
dozen)  were  started  for  Washington  under  a  guard 
of  four  cavalrymen.  We  were  taken  to  the  old 
capitol  at  Washington  and  put  in  one  of  the  rooms. 
I  suppose  there  were  several  hundred  prisoners 
there  at  the  time.  We  remained  about  a  month, 
when  we  were  exchanged.  We  were  taken  to  Rich 
mond  by  boat  and  turned  over  to  the  authorities 
there,  and  our  Government  released  a  similar  num 
ber  of  Union  prisoners,  who'  returned  on  the  same 
boat  that  brought  us  to  Richmond.  I  took  the  train 
at  Richmond,  rode  to  Gordonsville,  and  footed  it 
from  there  home,  a  distance  of  about  150  miles. 

I  found  my  horse  awaiting  me,  and  after  a  few 
days'  rest,  I  mounted  and  rejoined  my  comrades  at 
the  little  town  of  Paris,  Fauquier  county,  where  I 
had  left  them  for  a  visit  to  Washington  as  a  guest 
of  the  United  States  Government. 

As  the  winter  came  on  the  Confederates  drew  in 


FROM   BULL  RUN   TO  APPOMATTOX.  65 

their  outposts,  and  likewise  the  enemy.  This  left 
the  whole  eastern  part  of  Virginia  free  from  the 
depredations  of  either  army,  except  now  and  then 
a  raid  from  one  side  on  the  other. 

My  regiment  was  at  camp  in  the  woods  near 
Harrisonhurg,  while  Jackson's  main  army  was 
with  Lee,  south  of  Fredericksburg.  Jackson  spent 
much  time  during  the  winter  in  religious  work 
among  his  soldiers.  "My  ambition,"  he  said,  "is 
to  command  a  converted  army."  He  himself  was 
one  of  the  most  devout  men  in  the  army,  and  seemed 
to  be  always  in  communion  with  his  God. 

The  winter  was  a  hard  one,  and  both  armies  kept 
pretty  well  within  their  winter  quarters. 

We  had  no  tents,  but  took  fence  rails,  and  putting 
one  end  on  a  pole  fastened  to  two  trees,  and  the 
other  on  the  ground,  and  covering  the  rails  with 
leaves  and  fastenening  up  each  end,  leaving  the 
front  open,  then  building  a  big  fire  just  in  front,  we 
had  a  very  comfortable  place  to  sleep.  We  sat  on 
logs  around  the  fire  during  the  day  and  far  into  the 
night  telling  stories  and  entertaining  ourselves  in 
various  ways.  At  night  we  crept  under  the  roof  of 
our  shed,  which  was  about  a  foot  deep  in  leaves, 


66  FROM   BULL  RUN   TO  APPOMATTOX. 

and  slept  as  comfortably  as  any  farmer's  hogs 
would  do  under  similar  circumstances. 

About  the  first  of  January  my  company  was 
again  detached  from  the  regiment  and  sent  to  Ork 
ney  Springs,  just  at  the  foot  of  North  mountain, 
west  of  Strasburg. 

Our  duty  was  to  keep  a  dozen  men  on  the  op 
posite  side  of  the  mountain  scouting  and  doing 
picket  duty.  It  was  our  custom  to  relieve  the  men 
once  a  week  by  sending  over  another  detachment 
and  relieving  those  on  duty. 

While  at  Orkney  Springs  we  occupied  cottages 
that  were  intended  for  the  summer  guests  prior  to 
the  breaking  out  of  hostilities.  But  after  remain 
ing  in  the  cottages  some  time,  the  health  of  the  com 
mand  was  so  poor  that  we  were  compelled  to  go 
back  to  the  woods.  In  a  short  time  the  sickness 
disappeared  from  the  camp,  showing  that  the  best 
place  for  a  soldier  is  out  in  the  open. 

Shortly  after  this  word  came  that  the  enemy  was 
advancing  up  the  valley  turnpike,  and  the  whole 
regiment  was  ordered  down  to  meet  them,  our  com 
pany  in  advance. 

It  was  March.    The  day  was  a  stormy  one.     It 


FROM  BULL  RUN  TO  APPOMATTOX.  67 

snowed  and  rained  alternately  all  day  long,  far 
into  the  night. 

When  we  left  camp  I  was  suffering  with  rheuma 
tism  in  my  hip,  so  that  I  had  to  use  a  stump  to 
mount  my  horse,  for  I  was  determined  to  go  with 
the  regiment.  Soldiers  lying  in  camp  idle  soon  get 
restless,  and  even  cowards  will  hail  \vith  delight 
a  chance  to  have  a  brush  with  the  enemy. 

So  notwithstanding  the  weather  and  physical  ail 
ments  of  some  of  the  men,  all  went  out  of  camp  that 
morning  bright  and  happy. 

It  was  a  false  alarm.  The  only  enemy  encoun 
tered  was  the  pelting  snow  and  driving  rain.  The 
Yankees  were  snug  in  their  tents,  many  miles  away. 

We  went  into  camp  in  the  woods.  I  remember 
that  I  was  wet  to  the  skin,  and  I  can  see  myself  now 
sitting  on  a  log  pulling  off  first  one  long-legged 
boot,  then  the  other,  and  pouring  the  water  out. 

But  before  this,  fires  had  sprung  up  all  over  the 
woods.  In  spite  of  the  fact  that  everything  was 
drenched  and  water  was  dripping  from  every  twig, 
in  an  incredibly  short  time  the  whole  woods  were 
brilliantly  illuminated  by  burning  camp-fires. 

We  got  out  our  bacon  and  crackers  and  enjoyed 
a  supper  that  no  habitue  of  a  Delmonico  could 


68  FROM  BULL  RUN  TO  APPOMATTOX. 

have  relished  more.  The  bacon  (not  sugar-cured) 
was  stuck  on  a  stick  and  roasted  before  the  fire, 
while  the  grease  was  allowed  to  fall  on  the  cracker 
on  a  chip  below. 

The  Delmonico  man  might  boast  of  a  higher 
grade  of  food  and  better  cooking,  but  the  soldier 
wins  on  the  appetite. 

After  supper  we  stood  around  the  camp-fires 
drying  the  outside  of  our  clothes,  telling  stories  and 
smoking.  Then  we  prepared  for  bed. 

The  men  in  the  companies  are  always  divided 
into  messes ;  the  average  number  of  men  in  each  wTas 
usually  about  six.  The  messes  were  like  so  many 
families  that  lived  together,  slept  together  and  ate 
together,  and  stood  by  each  other  in  all  emergen 
cies.  There  was  no  rule  regulating  the  messes. 
The  men  simply  came  together  by  common  con 
sent.  "Birds  of  a  feather  flock  together." 

In  winter  one  bed  was  made  for  the  whole  mess. 
It  consisted  of  laying  down  rubber  cloths  on  the 
ground  and  covering  them  with  a  blanket,  and  an 
other  and  another,  as  occasion  required,  and  if  the 
weather  was  foul,  on  top  of  that  other  rubber  cloths. 
Our  saddles  covered  with  our  coats  were  our  pil 
lows.  The  two  end  men  had  logs  of  wood  to  pro- 


FROM  BULL  RUN  TO  APPOMATTOX.  69 

tect  them.    Only  our  coats  and  boots  were  removed. 

On  a  cold  winter  night,  no  millionaire  on  his  bed 
of  down  ever  slept  swreeter  than  a  soldier  on  a  bed 
like  this. 

In  the  summer  each  soldier  had  a  separate  bed. 
If  it  were  raining,  he  made  his  bed  on  top  of  two 
fence  rails,  if  he  could  not  find  a  better  place.  If 
the  weather  was  good,  old  Mother  Earth  was  all 
the  soldier  wanted. 

As  this  was  a  cold,  stormy  night,  of  course  we  all 
bunked  together.  My,  what  a  nice,  soft,  sweaty 
time  we  had!  The  next  morning  all  traces  of  my 
rheumatism  had  disappeared,  and  I  felt  as  spry  as 
a  young  kitten. 

As  the  day  advanced  the  clouds  rolled  by,  the 
sun  came  out  bright  and  smiling,  and  the  com 
mand  marched  back  to  the  old  camp-ground,  near 
Harrisonburg. 

With  every  regiment  there  is  a  Company  Q. 
Company  Q  is  composed  of  lame  ducks,  cowards, 
shirkers,  dead-beats,  generally,  and  also  a  large 
sprinkling  of  good  soldiers,  who,  for  some  reason 
or  other,  are  not  fit  for  duty.  Sometimes  this  com 
pany  is  quite  large.  It  depends  upon  the  weather, 
the  closeness  of  the  enemy,  and  the  duties  that  are 


70  FROM  BULL  RUN  TO  APPOMATTOX. 

being  exacted.  Bad  weather  will  drive  in  all  rheu 
matics  ;  the  coming  battle  will  drive  in  the  cowards ; 
hard  marching  and  picket  duty  will  bring  in  the 
lazy.  But  then,  as  I  have  just  said,  there  were 
some  good  soldiers  among  them — the  slightly 
wounded  or  those  suffering  from  any  disability. 
Taking  them  altogether,  Company  Q  resembled 
Mother  Goose's  beggars  that  came  to  town;  "some 
in  rags,  some  in  tags,  and  some  in  velvet  gowns." 
Company  Q  was  always  the  butt  of  the  joker. 

A  short  time  after  the  regiment  had  returned 
from  its  fruitless  march  down  the  pike,  the  four 
regiments  composing  the  brigade  under  Gen.  Wil 
liam  E.  Jones  were  ordered  to  break  camp  and 
move  across  the  mountains  into  the  enemy's  country 
in  West  Virginia. 

At  that  time  I  was  almost  blind  with  inflamed 
eyes.  They  looked  like  two  clots  of  blood.  Of 
course,  I  did  not  go  with  the  command,  but  was 
forced  to  join  Company  Q.  As  well  as  I  remember, 
the  company  numbered  at  that  time  over  100  men, 
among  them  two  or  three  officers. 

As  the  regiment  expected  to  be  absent  for  over  a 
month  and  to  return  crowned  with  laurels,  Com 
pany  Q  conceived  the  idea  of  doing  something  that 


FROM   BULL  RUN   TO  APPOMATTOX.  Jl 

would  put  them  on  an  equal  footing  with  their  com 
rades  when  they  returned  from  this  expedition. 

A  company  was  formed  of  about  100  men,  wilich 
were  soon  on  the  march  down  the  valley  pike.  My 
eyes  had  so  improved  that  I  could  join  them. 

The  enemy  was  encamped  near  Winchester,  per 
haps  75  miles  away.  Our  destination  was  this 
camp.  We  were  to  march  down  the  valley, 
make  a  night  attack  and  come  back  with  all  the 
plunder  we  could  carry  off  or  drive  ofT.  Every 
fellow  expected  to  bring  back  at  least  one  extra 
horse. 

We  reached  the  west  branch  of  the  Shenandoah, 
near  Strasburg,  and  wrent  into  camp  for  the  night, 
having  first  put  out  pickets  at  the  various  fords  up 
and  down  the  river. 

The  enemy's  camp  was  supposed  to  be  ten  miles 
beyond.  We  intended  to  remain  at  this  camp  until 
the  next  evening  about  dusk,  and  then  start  for  the 
enemy,  timing  ourselves  to  reach  their  camp  about 
midnight. 

The  next  morning  about  9  o'clock  we  came  down 
from  our  camp  into  the  open  field  to  graze  our 
horses.  We  had  taken  the  bits  out  of  their  mouths 
and  were  lying  around  loose,  while  the  horses  crop- 


72  FROM   BULL  RUN  TO  APPOMATTOX. 

ped  the  grass,  when  all  at  once  someone  shouted 
"Yankees."  Sure  enough,  there  they  were,  a 
whole  regiment  of  Union  cavalrymen.  They  had 
crossed  the  river  some  distance  below  our  pickets 
and  had  placed  themselves  directly  in  our  rear, 
cutting  off  our  retreat.  We  soon  had  our  horses 
bridled,  and  mounting,  made  for  the  river.  Our 
commander  sent  me  down  the  river  to  call  in  the 
pickets,  but  I  did  not  go  far  until  I  met  them  com 
ing  in.  They  had  heard  the  firing.  We  had  a  des 
perate  race  to  join  the  fleeing  company,  but  did  so, 
narrowly  escaping  capture. 

There  was  a  small  body  of  woods  on  the  banks  of 
the  river,  where  we  found  shelter  for  the  moment. 
We  were  entirely  cut  off  from  the  fords,  and  there 
was  no  way  of  crossing  the  river  but  to  swim.  The 
banks  were  steep  on  each  side,  so  it  looked  as  if  that 
would  be  the  last  of  poor  Company  Q.  We  dis 
mounted,  got  behind  the  trees,  and  were  ready  to 
give  our  tormentors  a  warm  reception,  but  Provi 
dence  seemed  to  smile  on  us.  Someone  discovered 
a  little  stream  running  into  the  river.  We  followed 
that  down  into  the  river,  and  the  whole  command 
swam  across  and  climbed  the  banks  on  the  other 
side,  except  one  man  (Milton  Robinson)  and  my- 


FROM   BULL   RUN  TO  APPOMATTOX.  73 

self.  Our  horses  refused  to  swim.  They  behaved 
so  ugly  that  we  had  to  abandon  them.  Mine  was 
the  same  "jade"  that  had  dumped  me  on  the  Yan 
kees  a  few  months  before.  Now  I  had  a  chance  to 
reciprocate.  I  tied  her  to  a  little  sapling  at  the  edge 
of  the  river,  and  Robinson  and  I  hid  in  the  bushes 
close  by  the  banks.  The  Yankees  came  down  and 
took  our  horses,  and  after  searching  around  for 
some  time,  vacated  the  premises,  much  to  our  grati 
fication. 

The  loss  of  our  horses  grieved  us  very  much,  but 
such  is  the  life  of  a  soldier. 

My  comrades  in  crossing  the  river  were  in  the 
enemy's  country,  and  were  liable  to  be  surrounded 
and  captured  at  any  time,  but  they  made  their  es 
cape  in  some  way,  and  lost  no  time  in  getting  back 
to  camp,  many  miles  away. 

Robinson  and  I,  of  course,  had  to  foot  it,  but  in 
a  few  days  we  also  landed  in  camp,  much  to  the 
surprise  of  our  comrades,  who  thought  the  enemy 
had  us.  Thus  terminated  ingloriously  the  well- 
planned  expedition  of  Company  Q. 

In  about  two  weeks  the  brigade  came  back  from 
the  West  Virginia  expedition,  and  Company  Q  re 
ceived  the  Sixth  Regiment  with  open  arms.  Just 


74  FROM  BULL  RUN  TO  APPOMATTOX. 

what  the  expedition  accomplished  I  am  not  able  to 
say,  but  there  is  one  little  incident  connected  with 
it  that  has  lingered  lovingly  in  my  memory  to  this 
day. 

Every  mess  had  in  it  a  forager ;  that  is,  one  skilled 
in  the  art  of  picking  up  delicacies.  At  least  we 
called  them  such,  as  this  term  was  applied  to  any 
thing  edible  above  hardtack  and  salt  pork.  We 
had  such  a  one  in  our  mess,  and  he  was  hard  to  beat. 
His  name  was  Fauntleroy  Neill.  He  was  a  close 
friend  of  mine.  We  called  him  Faunt. 

Whenever  he  went  on  an  expedition  he  always 
came  back  loaded.  As  he  was  with  the  brigade  in 
West  Virginia,  we  knew  that  when  he  returned 
(if  he  did  return)  he  would  bring  back  something 
good,  and  he  did.  I  cannot  remember  all  the  things 
he  had  strapped  to  his  saddle,  but  one  thing  looms 
up  before  my  mind  now  as  big  as  a  Baltimore  sky 
scraper.  It  was  about  half  a  bushel  of  genuine 
grain  coffee,  unroasted.  There  was  also  sugar  to 
sweeten  it.  Grains  of  coffee  in  the  South  during 
the  Civil  War  \vere  as  scarce  as  grains  of  gold,  and 
when  toasting  time  came  and  the  lid  was  lifted  to 
stir  this  coffee,  it  is  said  that  the  aroma  from  it 
spread  through  the  trees  and  over  the  fields  for 


FROM   BULL  RUN   TO  APPOMATTOX.  75 

many  miles  around.  I  forgot  the  long,  weary 
march  on  foot  back  up  the  valley,  forgot  the 
loss  of  my  horse,  and  really  felt  as  if  I  had  been 
fully  compensated  for  any  inconvenience  that  had 
come  to  me  from  the  ill-starred  tramp  of  Com 
pany  Q. 

Spring  had  now  fully  come,  the  roads  were  dry, 
and  the  time  for  action  had  arrived. 

Hooker,  at  the  head  of  120,000  Northern  sol 
diers,  was  again  crossing  the  Rappahannock,  near 
Fredericksburg,  to  lock  horns  with  Lee  and  Jack 
son. 

Hooker  had  superseded  Burnside  in  command 
of  the  Union  army.  They  called  him  "fighting 
Joe." 

He  handled  his  army  the  first  two  or  three 
days  writh  consummate  skill,  and  at  one  stage  of 
his  maneuvers  he  felt  confident  that  he  had  out 
generaled  Lee  and  Jackson.  He  believed  they 
were  in  full  retreat,  and  so  informed  the  Washing 
ton  Government.  But  he  was  doomed  to  a  terrible 
disappointment.  What  Hooker  took  to  be  a  re 
treat  of  the  Confederates  was  simply  a  change  of 
front,  which  was  followed  up  by  Jackson  executing 
another  one  of  his  bold  flank  movements,  the  most 


76  FROM  BULL  RUN  TO  APPOMATTOX. 

brilliant  of  his  brief  career,  the  result  of  which  was 
Hooker's  defeat.  The  entire  Union  army  was 
thrown  into  such  confusion  that  it  was  compelled 
to  retreat  across  the  river,  after  sustaining  heavy 
losses  in  killed  and  wounded. 

The  New  Standard  Encyclopedia  gives  Hook 
er's  army  as  130,000;  Lee's,  60,000.  Hooker's 
losses,  18,000;  Lee's,  13,000. 

Perhaps  no  general  on  either  side  during  the  en 
tire  wrar  felt  more  keenly  his  defeat  than  did  Hook 
er  on  this  occasion.  For  awhile  everything  seemed 
to  be  going  his  way,  when  suddenly  the  tide  turned, 
and  he  saw  his  vast  army  in  a  most  critical  situation, 
and  apparently  at  the  mercy  of  his  opponent. 

History  tells  the  w7hole  story  in  better  language 
than  I  can.  It  calls  it  the  "Battle  of  Chancellors- 
ville." 

Carl  Schurz,  one  of  the  generals  in  Hooker's 
army,  says  that  never  did  Gen.  Lee's  qualities  as  a 
soldier  shine  as  brilliantly  as  they  did  in  this  battle. 
To  quote  his  own  language,  "We  had  120,000  men, 
Lee  60,000.  Yet  Lee  handled  his  forces  so  skill 
fully  that  whenever  he  attacked  he  did  it  with  a 
superior  force,  and  in  this  way  he  overwhelmed  our 
army  and  compelled  its  retreat,  after  suffering  ter- 


FROM   BULL   RUN   TO  APPOMATTOX.  77 

rible  losses  not  only  in  dead  and  wounded,  but  in 
prisoners." 

But  the  Confederates  also  suffered  a  tremendous 
loss  at  Chancellorsville.  Just  at  the  moment  when 
he  was  about  to  gather  the  fruit  of  his  victory, 
which  might  have  resulted  in  the  surrender  of 
Hooker's  army,  or  the  greater  portion  of  it,  Stone 
wall  Jackson  was  fired  on  by  his  own  men,  mortally 
wounded,  and  died  a  few  days  afterwards. 

The  following  account  of  the  wounding  of  Jack 
son,  as  related  by  an  eye-witness,  will  be  of  interest 
to  the  reader: 

"It  was  9  o'clock  at  night.  There  was  a  lull  in 
the  battle,  and  Jackson's  line  had  become  somewhat 
disorganized  by  the  men  gathering  in  groups  and 
discussing  their  brilliant  victory.  Jackson,  notic 
ing  the  confusion,  rode  up  and  down  the  line,  say 
ing,  'Men,  get  into  line,  get  into  line;  I  need  your 
help  for  a  time.  This  disorder  must  be  corrected.' 

"He  had  just  received  information  that  a  large 
body  of  fresh  troops  from  the  Union  army  was  ad 
vancing  to  retake  an  important  position  that  it  had 
lost.  Jackson  had  gone  100  yards  in  front  of  his 
own  line  to  get  a  better  view  of  the  enemy's  posi 
tion.  The  only  light  that  he  had  to  guide  him  was 


78  FROM   BULL  RUN   TO  APPOMATTOX. 

that  furnished  by  the  moon.  He  was  attended  by 
half  a  dozen  orderlies  and  several  of  his  staff  offi 
cers,  when  he  was  suddenly  surprised  by  a  volley  of 
musketry  in  his  front.  The  bullets  began  whistling 
about  them,  and  struck  several  horses.  This  wras 
the  advance  guard  of  the  Federal  lines.  Jackson, 
seeing  the  danger,  turned  and  rode  rapidly  back 
toward  his  own  line.  As  they  approached,  the  Con 
federate  troops,  mistaking  them  for  the  enemy's 
cavalry,  stooped  and  delivered  a  deadly  fire.  So 
sudden  was  this  volley,  and  so  near  at  hand,  that 
every  horse  which  was  not  shot  down  recoiled  from 
it  in  panic  and  turned  to  rush  back, bearing  his  rider 
toward  the  approaching  enemy.  Several  fell  dead 
on  the  spot,  and  more  were  wounded,  among  them 
Gen.  Jackson.  His  right  hand  was  penetrated  by 
a  ball,  his  left  was  lacerated  by  another,  and  the 
same  arm  wras  broken  a  little  below  the  shoulder 
by  a  third  ball,  which  not  only  crushed  the  bone, 
but  severed  the  main  artery.  His  horse  dashed, 
panic-stricken,  toward  the  enemy,  carrying  him  be 
neath  the  boughs  of  the  trees,  which  inflicted  sev 
eral  blows,  lacerated  his  face,  and  almost  dragged 
him  from  the  saddle.  His  bridle  hand  was  now 
powerless,  but  seizing  the  rein  with  his  right  hand, 


FROM   BULL   RUN   TO  APPOMATTOX.  79 

notwithstanding  its  wound,  he  arrested  his  horse 
and  brought  the  animal  back  toward  his  own  line. 
"Hewas  followed  byhis  faithful  attendants.  The 
firing  of  the  Confederates  had  now  been  arrested 
by  some  of  the  officers,  who  realized  their  mis 
take,  but  the  wounded  and  frantic  horses  were  rush 
ing  without  riders  through  the  woods,  where  the 
ground  was  strewn  with  the  dead  and  dying.  Here 
Gen.  Jackson  drew  up  his  horse  and  sat  for  an  in 
stant,  gazing  toward  his  own  line,  as  if  in  astonish 
ment  at  their  cruel  mistake,  and  in  doubt  whether 
he  should  again  venture  to  approach  them.  He 
said  to  one  of  his  staff,  'I  believe  my  arm  is  broken,' 
and  requested  him  to  assist  him  from  his  horse  and 
examine  whether  the  wounds  were  bleeding  dan 
gerously.  Before  he  could  dismount  he  sank  faint 
ing  into  their  arms,  so  completely  prostrated  that 
they  were  compelled  to  disengage  his  feet  from  the 
stirrups.  They  carried  him  a  few  yards  into  the 
woods  north  of  the  turnpike  to  shield  him  from  the 
expected  advance  of  the  Federalists.  One  was  sent 
for  an  ambulance  and  a  surgeon,  while  another 
stripped  his  mangled  arm  in  order  to  bind  up  the 
wound.  The  warm  blood  was  flowing  in  a  stream 
down  his  wrist.  His  clothes  impeded  all  access  to 


So  FROM   BULL   RUN   TO  APPOMATTOX. 

its  source,  and  nothing  was  at  hand  more  efficient 
than  a  penknife  to  remove  the  obstruction. 

"Just  at  this  momentGen.  Hill  appeared  upon  the 
scene  with  a  part  of  his  staff.  They  called  upon 
him  for  assistance.  One  of  his  staff,  Maj.  Leigh, 
succeeded  in  reaching  thewound  and  staunching  the 
blood  with  a  handkerchief.  It  was  at  this  moment 
that  two  Federal  skirmishers  approached  within  a 
few  feet  of  the  spot  where  he  lay,  with  their  mus 
kets  cocked.  They  little  knew  what  a  prize  was  in 
their  grasp.  When,  at  the  command  of  Gen.  Hill, 
two  orderlies  arose  from  the  kneeling  group  and 
demanded  their  surrender,  they  seemed  amazed 
at  their  nearness  to  their  enemy,  and  yielded  their 
arms  without  resistance. 

"Lieut.  Morrison,  suspecting  from  their  approach 
that  the  Federalists  must  be  near  at  hand,  stepped 
out  into  the  road  to  examine,  and  by  the  light  of  the 
moon  he  saw  a  cannon  pointing  toward  them,  ap 
parently  not  more  than  100  yards  distant.  In 
deed,  it  was  so  near  that  the  orders  given  by  the 
officers  to  the  cannoneers  could  be  distinctly  heard. 
Returning  hurriedly,  he  announced  that  the  enemy 
were  planting  artillery  in  the  road  and  that  the 
general  must  be  immediately  removed.  Gen.  Hill 


THE    LAST    MEETING    OF    LEE    AND    JACKSON    AT  .  CIIANCELLORSVILLE. 


FROM   BULL  RUN   TO  APPOMATTOX.  8 1 

now  remounted  and  hurried  back  to  make  arrange 
ments  to  meet  this  attack.  In  the  combat  which  en 
sued,  he  himself  was  wounded  a  few  moments  after, 
and  compelled  to  leave  the  field.  No  ambulance  or 
litter  was  yet  at  hand,  and  the  necessity  for  imme 
diate  removal  suggested  that  they  should  bear  the 
general  away  in  their  arms.  To  this  he  replied  that 
if  they  would  assist  him  to  rise,  he  would  walk  to 
the  rear.  He  was  accordingly  raised  to  his  feet, 
and  leaning  upon  the  shoulders  of  two  of  his  staff, 
he  went  slowly  out  of  the  highway,  and  toward  his 
own  troops. 

"The  party  was  now  met  by  a  litter,  which  some 
one  had  sent  from  the  rear,  and  the  general  was 
placed  upon  it  and  borne  along  by  two  of  his  offi 
cers.  Just  then  the  enemy  fired  a  volley  of  canister 
shot  up  the  road,  which  passed  over  their  heads, 
but  they  proceeded  only  a  few  steps  before  the 
charge  was  repeated  with  more  accurate  aim.  One 
of  the  officers  bearing  the  litter  was  struck  down, 
when  Maj.  Leigh,  who  was  walking  by  their  side, 
prevented  the  general  from  being  precipitated  to 
the  ground.  Just  then  the  roadway  was  swept  by 
a  hurricane  of  projectiles  of  every  species,  before 
which  it  seemed  no  living  thing  could  survive.  The 


82  FROM  BULL  RUN  TO  APPOMATTOX. 

bearers  of  the  litter  and  all  the  attendants  except 
Maj.  Leigh  and  the  general's  two  aids  left  him  and 
fled  into  the  woods  on  either  side  to  escape  the  fear 
ful  tempest,  while  the  sufferer  lay  along  the  road 
with  his  feet  toward  the  foe,  exposed  to  all  its  fury. 
It  was  now  that  his  three  faithful  attendants  dis 
played  a  heroic  fidelity  which  deserves  to  go  down 
with  the  immortal  name  of  Jackson  into  future 
ages. 

"Disdaining  to  save  their  lives  by  deserting  their 
chief,  they  lay  down  beside  him  in  the  causeway 
and  sought  to  protect  him  as  far  as  possible  with 
their  bodies.  On  one  side  was  Maj.  Leigh,  and  on 
the  other  Lieut.  Smith.  Again  and  again  was  the 
earth  around  them  torn  with  volleys  of  canister, 
while  shells  and  minie  balls  flew  hissing  over 
them,  and  the  stroke  of  the  iron  hail  raised  spark 
ling  flashes  from  the  flinty  gravel  of  the  roadway. 
Gen.  Jackson  struggled  violently  to  rise,  as  though 
to  endeaver  to  leave  the  road,  but  Smith  threw  his 
arm  over  him  and  with  friendly  force  held  him  to 
the  earth,  saying,  'Sir,  you  must  lie  still;  it  will 
cost  you  your  life  if  you  rise.'  He  speedily  ac 
quiesced,  and  lay  quiet,  but  none  of  the  four  hoped 
to  escape  alive.  Yet,  almost  by  miracle,  they  were 


FROM  BULL  RUN  TO  APPOMATTOX.  83 

unharmed,  and  after  a  few  moments  the  Feder 
alists,  having  cleared  the  road  of  all  except  this  lit 
tle  party,  ceased  to  fire  along  it,  and  directed  their 
aim  to  another  quarter. 

"They  now  arose  and  resumed  their  retreat,  the 
general  walking  and  leaning  upon  two  of  his 
friends,  proceeded  along  the  gutter  at  the  margin 
of  the  highway  in  order  to  avoid  the  troops,  who 
were  again  hurrying  to  the  front.  Perceiving  that 
he  was  recognized  by  some  of  them,  they  diverged 
still  farther  into  the  edge  of  the  thicket.  It  was 
here  that  Gen.  Fender  of  North  Carolina,  who  had 
succeeded  to  the  command  of  Hill's  division  upon 
the  wounding  of  that  officer,  recognized  Gen.  Jack 
son,  and  said,  'My  men  are  thrown  into  such  con 
fusion  by  this  fire  that  I  fear  I  shall  not  be  able  to 
hold  my  ground.'  Almost  fainting  with  anguish 
and  loss  of  blood,  he  still  replied,  in  a  voice  feeble 
but  full  of  his  old  determination  and  authority, 
'Gen.  Fender,  you  must  keep  your  men  together 
and  hold  your  ground.'  This  was  the  last  military 
order  ever  given  by  Jackson. 

"Gen.  Jackson  now  complained  of  faintness,  and 
was  again  placed  upon  the  litter,  and  after  some 
difficulty,  men  were  obtained  to  bear  him.  To 


84  FROM  BULL  RUN  TO  APPOMATTOX. 

avoid  the  enemy's  fire,  which  was  again  sweeping 
the  road,  they  made  their  way  through  the  tangled 
brushwood,  almost  tearing  his  clothing  from  him, 
and  lacerating  his  face  in  their  hurried  progress. 
The  foot  of  one  of  the  men  bearing  his  head  was 
here  tangled  in  a  vine,  and  he  fell  prostrate.  The 
general  was  thus  thrown  heavily  to  the  ground 
upon  his  wounded  side,  inflicting  painful  bruises 
on  his  body  and  intolerable  agony  on  his  mangled 
arm,  and  renewing  the  flow  of  blood  from  it.  As 
they  lifted  him  up  he  uttered  one  piteous  groan, 
the  only  complaint  which  escaped  his  lips  during 
the  whole  scene.  Lieut.  Smith  raised  his  head 
upon  his  bosom,  almost  fearing  to  see  him  expiring 
in  his  arms,  and  asked,  "General,  are  you  much 
hurt?"  He  replied,  No,  Mr.  Smith,  don't  trouble 
yourself  about  me.  He  was  then  replaced  a  sec 
ond  time  upon  the  litter,  and  under  a  continuous 
shower  of  shells  and  cannon  balls,  borne  a  half 
mile  farther  to  the  rear,  when  an  ambulance  was 
found,  containing  his  chief  of  artillery,  Col. 
Crutchfield,  who  was  also  wounded.  In  this  he  was 
placed  and  hurried  toward  the  field  hospital,  near 
Wilderness  Run.  From  there  he  was  taken  to  a 
farmhouse,  his  left  arm  amputated,  and  a  few  days 


FROM  BULL  RUN  TO  APPOMATTOX.  85 

afterward  he  died.  His  wife  and  little  child  were 
with  him."  Thus  ended  the  life  of  one  of  the 
world's  greatest  warriors  and  one  of  Christ's  great 
est  soldiers. 

The  following  ode  to  Stonewall  Jackson  was 
written  by  a  Union  officer  (Miles  O'Reiley),  and 
is  inserted  here  in  preference  to  others  that  may 
have  been  quite  as  appropriate,  because  of  the 
added  beauty  of  sentiment  it  conveys  from  the  fact 
that  its  author  wore  the  blue: 

He  sleeps  all  quietly  and  cold 
Beneath  the  soil  that  gave  him  birth ; 

Then  break  his  battle  brand  in  twain, 
And  lay  it  with  him  in  the  earth. 

No  more  at  midnight  shall  he  urge 
His  toilsome  march  among  the  pines, 

Nor  hear  upon  the  morning  air 
The  war  shout  of  his  charging  lines. 

No  more  for  him  shall  cannon  bark 
Or  tents  gleam  white  upon  the  plain ; 

And  where  his  camp  fires  blazed  of  yore, 
Brown  reapers  laugh  amid  the  grain ! 

No  more  above  his  narrow  bed 

Shall  sound  the  tread  of  marching  feet, 

The  rifle  volley  and  the  crash 
Of  sabres  when  the  foeman  meet. 


86  FROM   BULL  RUN   TO  APPOMATTOX. 

Young  April  o'er  his  lowly  mound 
Shall  shake  the  violets  from  her  hair, 

And  glorious  June  with  fervid  kiss 
Shall  bid  the  roses  blossom  there. 

And  white-winged  peace  o'er  all  the  land 

Broods  like  a  dove  upon  her  nest, 
While  iron  War,  with  slaughter  gorged, 

At  length  hath  laid  him  down  to  rest. 

And  where  we  won  our  onward  way, 
With  fire  and  steel  through  yonder  wood, 

The  blackbird  whistles  and  the  quail 
Gives  answer  to  her  timid  brood. 

And  oft  when  white-haired  grandsires  tell 

Of  bloody  struggles  past  and  gone, 
The  children  at  their  knees  will  hear 

How  Jackson  led  his  columns  on ! 

I  have  only  referred  incidentally  to  Jackson's 
Valley  Campaign.  It  was  short,  but  intensely 
dramatic.  For  bold  maneuvering,  rapid  marching 
and  brilliant  strategy,  I  believe  it  has  no  parallel  in 
history.  As  for  results,  without  it  Richmond  doubt 
less  would  have  been  in  the  hands  of  McClellan  in 
the  spring  of  1862. 

Perhaps  it  is  not  extravagant  to  say  that  as  the 
tidings  reached  the  people  all  over  the  South  that 
their  idol  was  dead,  more  sorrow  was  expressed  in 


FROM  BULL  RUN  TO  APPOMATTOX.  87 

tears  than  was  ever  known  in  the  history  of  the 
world  at  the  loss  of  any  one  man. 

As  the  Israelites  saw  Elijah  depart  they  exclaim 
ed,  "The  chariots  of  Israel  and  the  horsemen 
thereof!" 

The  South  felt  that  in  the  loss  of  Stonewall  Jack 
son  they  were  parting  with  the  "better  half"  of 
their  army. 

The  North  had  the  men,  the  money  and  the  mu 
nitions  of  war,  but  the  South  had  Lee  and  Stonewall 
Jackson.  And  in  having  them  they  felt  that  they 
were  more  than  a  match  for  the  North.  Now  that 
Jackson  was  gone  the  question  was,  What  will  Gen. 
Lee  do? 

To  go  back  to  the  valley,  I  was  indebted  to  my 
friend  Faunt  Neill  for  the  loan  of  a  horse,  he  being 
fortunate  enough  to  have  two. 

After  the  battle  of  Chancellorsville  almost  the 
entire  force  in  the  valley  passed  over  the  Blue 
Ridge  and  joined  Lee's  army  on  the  Rappahan- 
nock.  Of  course,  this  included  my  command. 

Lee's  army  still  occupied  the  south  bank  of  the 
Rappahannock,  near  the  late  battlefield,  while  just 
opposite,  on  the  north  bank,  was  the  Union  army 
waiting  to  see  what  the  next  move  would  be.  I  be- 


88  FROM  BULL  RUN  TO  APPOMATTOX. 

lieve  I  have  mentioned  the  fact  that  Gen.  J.  E.  B. 
Stuart  commanded  Lee's  entire  cavalry  force,  about 
10,000  men  with  several  batteries  of  artillery. 
This  force  was  encamped  higher  up  the  river,  in 
Culpeper  county,  in  and  around  Brandy  Station, 
and  might  be  called  the  left  wing  of  Lee's  army, 
although  separated  from  it  by  several  miles. 

Just  opposite  Stuart's  cavalry  and  on  the  north 
bank  of  the  river  was  the  entire  cavalry  force  of 
the  Union  army,  supported  by  a  corps  of  infantry. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

From  Chancellorsville  to  Gettysburg 

"It  was  the  wild  midnight — 

The  storm  was  on  the  sky; 
The  lightning  gave  its  light, 

And  the  thunder  echoed  by." 

After  resting  awhile  and  mourning  the  loss  of 
our  great  soldier,  Lee's  army  began  to  move.  The 
question  was  (not  only  on  our  side  of  the  river,  but 
on  the  other),  "What  is  Gen.  Lee  up  to  now?" 

The  Northern  commander  determined  to  inves 
tigate,  and  early  in  the  morning  of  the  ninth  of 
June,  1863,  a  portion  of  the  Union  army  began  to 
cross  the  Rappahannock  at  every  ford  for  miles, 
up  and  down  the  river. 

I  was  on  picket  at  one  of  the  fords,  and  was  re 
lieved  at  3  o'clock  in  the  morning,  another  soldier 
taking  my  place. 

I  went  up  through  the  field  into  the  woods 
where  our  reserves  (some  20  men)  were  in  camp. 
It  was  from  this  squadron  that  pickets  were  sent 
out  and  posted  along  the  river. 

I  hitched  my  horse,  and  wrapped  in  a  blanket, 


90  FROM   BULL  RUN   TO  APPOMATTOX. 

lay  down  to  sleep.  But  I  was  soon  rudely  awak 
ened  by  the  watchman,  who  shouted  that  the  enemy 
was  crossing  the  river.  We  all  jumped  up  and 
mounted  our  horses.  Our  captain  was  with  us. 

The  day  was  just  breaking.  The  pickets  wrere 
hurrying  up  from  the  river  in  every  direction,  fir 
ing  their  pistols  to  give  the  alarm. 

Our  captain  formed  the  men  in  the  edge  of 
the  woods  for  the  purpose  of  checking  for  a  few 
minutes  the  advancing  enemy,  so  as  to  give  the 
10,000  cavalrymen  that  were  encamped  a  mile  or 
so  in  the  rear  time  to  saddle  and  mount  their  horses 
and  prepare  for  battle. 

The  enemy  came  pouring  up  from  the  river,  and 
we  opened  fire  on  them,  checking  them  for  the  mo 
ment.  Two  of  our  men  were  killed,  several  wound 
ed,  and  two  horses  killed. 

Two  couriers  had  gone  ahead  to  arouse  the  camp. 
We  soon  followed  them  along  the  road  through  the 
woods,  the  enemy  hard  on  our  heels. 

I  was  riding  with  the  captain  in  the  rear.  We 
were  not  aware  that  the  Yankees  were  so  close  to 
us,  and  the  captain  was  calling  to  the  men  to  check 
their  speed.  I  looked  behind,  called  to  the  captain 
and  told  him  they  were  right  on  us,  and  just  as  I 


FROM   BULL  RUN   TO  APPOMATTOX.  91 

spoke  two  bullets  went  hissing  by  my  head.  The 
captain  yelled  to  his  men  to  move  forward,  and 
bending  low  on  the  necks  of  our  horses,  we  gave 
them  the  spur. 

As  we  came  out  of  the  woods  into  the  fields  \ve 
met  the  Sixth  Virginia  (my  regiment),  under  Col. 
Flournoy,  coming  down  the  road  at  full  gallop. 
Just  on  his  left,  and  almost  on  a  line  with  the  Sixth, 
was  the  Seventh  Regiment  coming  across  the  fields 
(for  there  were  no  fences  then).  These  two  regi 
ments  entered  the  woods,  one  on  the  right  and  one 
on  the  left,  and  stretching  out  on  either  side,  poured 
a  volley  into  the  advancing  enemy  that  caused  them 
to  halt  for  awhile. 

The  roar  of  the  guns  in  the  woods  at  that  early 
hour  in  the  morning  was  terrific.  What  was  going 
on  in  front  of  us  was  being  enacted  up  and  down 
the  river  for  at  least  three  miles. 

Our  forces  then  fell  back  into  the  open  country, 
and  the  battle  continued,  at  intervals,  all  day  long. 

The  Yankees  were  supported  by  infantry,  while 
we  had  nothing  but  cavalry  and  artillery. 

Our  enemies  could  have  driven  us  back  farther 
if  they  had  tried  to,  but  they  seemed  to  be  afraid  of 
getting  into  trouble.  I  do  not  know  what  our  com- 


92  FROM  BULL  RUN  TO  APPOMATTOX. 

mander,  Gen.  Stuart,  knew,  but  I  did  not  suppose 
that  Gen.  Lee  was  within  30  miles  of  us.  To 
ward  sunset  I  saw  him  come  riding  across  the  fields 
on  his  gray  horse,  "Traveler,"  accompanied  by  his 
staff.  He  seemed  as  calm  and  unconcerned  as  if  he 
were  inspecting  the  land  with  the  view  of  a  pur 
chase. 

Whether  it  was  the  presence  of  Gen.  Lee  himself, 
or  the  fear  that  he  had  his  army  with  him,  I  know 
not,  but  simultaneously  with  the  appearance  of 
Gen.  Lee  the  enemy  began  to  move  back  and  re- 
cross  the  river.  We  did  not  press  them,  but  gave 
them  their  own  time. 

We  re-established  our  picket  line  along  the  river, 
and  everything  was  quiet  for  a  day  or  two. 

We  went  down  the  next  day  to  the  spot  where  the 
first  fight  took  place,  and  found  our  two  men  lying 
dead  by  the  side  of  a  tree,  and  several  dead  horses. 
The  enemy  had  removed  their  dead  (if  they  had 
any) .  It  was  too  dark  when  we  were  fighting  for 
us  to  see  whether  we  did  any  execution  or  not  at  this 
particular  point.  We  buried  our  two  men  where 
they  fell  and  went  back  to  camp.  Total  losses  as 
reported  by  each  side — Confederate,  485 ;  Federal, 
907. 


FROM  BULL  RUN  TO  APPOMATTOX.  93 

The  next  day  we  were  quietly  resting  in  the 
woods,  watching  the  infantry  as  they  tramped  by  all 
day  long,  moving  in  a  northeasterly  direction.  The 
question  was  asked  10,000  times  perhaps  that  day, 
"What  is  Marse  Robert  up  to  now?  Where  is  he 
taking  us?"  (Gen.  Lee  was  called  Marse  Robert 
by  his  soldiers.) 

In  the  afternoon  we  noticed  a  long  string  of 
wagons  of  a  peculiar  construction,  each  drawn  by 
six  horses,  and  loaded  with  something  covered  with 
white  canvas.  Of  course,  we  were  all  curious  to 
know  what  these  wagons  contained.  The  secret 
soon  leaked  out.  They  were  pontoon  bridges.  And 
then  we  began  to  speculate  as  to  what  rivers  we 
were  to  cross.  Some  said  we  were  destined  for  the 
Ohio,  others  for  the  Potomac. 

Just  before  sunset  the  bugle  sounded  "saddle  up," 
and  soon  Stuart's  cavalry  was  in  the  saddle  and  on 
the  march. 

Everything  was  trending  one  way,  namely,  north 
east. 

The  infantry  went  into  camp  at  night,  but  the 
cavalry  marched  through  most  of  the  night,  cross 
ing  the  Rappahannock  several  miles  above  where 
we  had  been  fighting. 


94  FROM  BULL  RUN  TO  APPOMATTOX. 

Lee's  entire  army  was  on  the  way  to  Pennsyl 
vania,  as  we  afterward  learned,  the  cavalry  keeping 
in  between  the  two  armies,  protecting  the  wagon 
trains  and  concealing,  as  far  as  possible,  our  army's 
destination.* 

The  infantry,  artillery  and  baggage  train  crossed 
the  Blue  Ridge  at  the  various  gaps,  fording  the 
Shenandoah  river,  and  moved  down  the  valley  of 
Virginia  toward  the  Potomac. 

Lee's  cavalry  kept  on  the  east  side  of  the  moun 
tain,  holding  the  enemy  back  as  much  as  possible. 

When  we  reached  Fauquier  and  Loudoun  coun 
ties  the  Union  cavalry  made  a  desperate  effort  to 
drive  in  our  cavalry  and  discover  the  route  of  our 
main  army. 

The  two  armies,  occupying  opposite  banks  of  the  river  near 
Fredericksburg,  began  their  march  for  Gettysburg  June  the  3rd, 
1863,  moving  northeast  along  the  Rappahannock  river,  the  cavalry 
of  each  army  marching  between.  When  Lee  reached  the  Blue  Ridge 
he  crossed  it  at  three  different  places,  Chester  Gap,  Ashby's  and 
Snickersville  Gaps.  The  two  cavalry  forces  came  together  and  fought 
quite  a  severe  battle,  beginning  at  Aldie,  below  Middleburg,  and  ex 
tending  to  Paris,  at  the  foot  of  the  mountain.  Directly  after  this 
battle  Stuart  took  the  main  part  of  his  cavalry,  moved  back  as  far 
as  Salem,  or  Delaplane,  as  it  is  now  called,  moved  across  the  coun 
try  in  rear  of  the  Federal  army,  passing  Manassas  and  Centerville, 
then  marched  direct  for  the  Potomac,  which  he  crossed  between 
Leesburg  and  Washington.  Then  through  Maryland  into  Pennsyl 
vania  as  far  as  Carlisle,  and  there  he  turned  south,  arriving  at 
Gettysburg  on  the  night  after  the  second  day  of  the  battle,  thus 
completely  encircling  the  Union  army.  (See  map). 

On  its  march  down  the  Virginia  valley  to  the  Potomac  Lee's 
army  took  4000  prisoners,  25  cannon,  250  wagons,  400  horses,  269 
small  arms  and  quantities  of  stores. 


FROM   BULL  RUN  TO  APPOMATTOX.  95 

Heavy  fighting  began  at  Aldie,  below  Middle- 
burg,  and  was  continued  up  the  pike  through  the 
town  of  Middleburg  up  as  far  as  Upperville,  where 
I  had  been  captured  the  year  before. 

The  enemy's  cavalry  was  supported  by  infantry, 
and  our  forces  fell  back  fighting  foot  by  foot  until 
they  reached  Upperville,  where  we  met  a  division 
of  infantry  that  Gen.  Lee  had  sent  to  help  us  beat 
back  the  enemy.  The  Confederates  who  were 
killed  in  this  action  are  buried  in  Middleburg  and 
Upperville,  in  the  cemeteries  just  outside  of  the  two 
towns,  and  the  ladies  of  these  villages  and  the  coun 
try  round  about  were  kept  busy  caring  for  the 
wounded. 

I  escaped  some  of  the  heaviest  of  this  fighting  by 
being  detailed  to  guard  the  prisoners  back  to  Win 
chester. 

The  night  before  the  battle  I  was  sent  out  along 
the  road  at  the  foot  of  the  mountain  to  discover 
whether  the  enemy  was  approaching  from  that 
direction  or  not.  After  a  lonely  ride  of  several 
fiours  I  came  back  and  had  a  time  finding  Gen. 
Stuart,  to  wrhom  I  was  instructed  to  report.  I  found 
him  asleep  on  the  porch  of  the  home  of  Caleb  Rec 
tor.  I  aroused  him  and  delivered  my  message. 


96  FROM   BULL  RUN  TO  APPOMATTOX. 

His  reply  was,  "All  right."  I  looked  up  my  own 
command,  and  lay  do\vn  for  the  remainder  of  the 
night. 

Lee's  army  crossed  the  river  at  Williamsport, 
Md.,  on  the  pontoon  bridge.*  The  Northern  army 
crossed  between  Harper's  Ferry  and  Washington, 
and  our  cavalry,  strange  to  say,  went  below  the 
Union  army  and  crossed  the  river  near  Washington, 
thus  circling  the  Union  army  and  arriving  at  Get 
tysburg  the  last  day  of  the  battle.  Stuart  captured 
and  destroyed  many  wagons  and  much  property  on 
this  expedition. 

My  brigade  of  cavalry  did  not  follow  Stuart,  but 
followed  the  main  army,  bringing  up  the  rear. 

After  crossing  the  river,  Lee  led  his  main  army 
straight  for  Chambersburg,  Pa.  I  cannot  describe 
the  feeling  of  the  Southern  soldiers  as  they  crossed 
the  line  separating  Maryland  and  Pennsylvania, 
and  trod  for  the  first  time  the  sacred  soil  of  the 
North.  Many  of  our  soldiers  had  been  on  Mary 
land  soil  before  this,  and  although  Maryland  was 

*The  map  only  shows  one  point  where  Lee  crossed  into  Maryland, 
but  the  army  divided  before  reaching  the  Potomac,  one  part  crossing 
at  Williamsport,  and  the  other  at  Shepherdstown,  and,  uniting  at 
Hagerstown,  moved  on  toward  Chambersburg.  From  this  point, 
Lee  sent  a  portion  of  Swell's  division  as  far  north  as  Carlisle,  while 
another  portion  marched  to  York,  then  to  Wrightsville,  on  the 
Susquehanna  river,  all  returning  in  time  to  meet  the  Union  army  at 
Gettysburg. 


FROM   BULL  RUN  TO  APPOMATTOX.  97 

not  a  part  of  the  Confederacy,  we  felt  that  she 
was  one  of  us,  and  while  marching  over  her 
roads  and  fields  we  were  still  in  our  own  domain, 
but  not  so  when  wre  crossed  into  Pennsylvania.  We 
were  then  in  the  enemy's  territory,  and  it  gave  us  in 
expressible  joy  to  think  that  we  were  strong  enough 
and  bold  enough  to  go  so  far  from  home  and  attack 
our  enemy  upon  his  own  soil.  The  joy  of  our  sol 
diers  knew  no  bounds.  We  were  as  light-hearted 
and  as  gay  as  children  on  a  picnic,  and  we  had  no 
fear  as  to  result  of  the  move. 

Marching  along  the  pike  one  day,  the  cavalry 
halted,  and  just  on  our  left  there  was  a  modest  home 
of  a  farmer.  The  garden  was  fenced,  and  came  out 
and  bordered  on  the  road.  His  raspberries  were 
ripe,  and  our  soldiers  sat  on  their  horses,  and 
leaning  over  were  picking  the  berries  from  the 
vines.  One  soldier  was  bold  enough  to  dis 
mount  and  get  over  into  the  garden.  We  saw  the 
family  watching  us  from  the  window.  The  impu 
dence  on  the  part  of  this  soldier  was  a  little  too 
much  for  the  farmer.  He  came  out  with  an  old- 
fashioned  shotgun  and  berated  us  in  a  manner  most 
vehement,  but  did  not  shoot.  This  stirred  the  risi- 
bles  of  our  soldiers  to  such  an  extent  that  the  whole 
command  broke  out  with  loud  laughter  and  hurrah 


98  FROM   BULL  RUN  TO  APPOMATTOX. 

for  the  brave  farmer,  who  single-handed,  and  with 
a  single-barrel  shotgun,  was  defying  the  whole 
rebel  horde.  If  the  entire  command  had  leveled 
its  guns  at  him  I  think  he  would  have  stood  his 
ground,  but  he  could  not  stand  our  ridicule,  so  he 
went  back  into  his  house,  and  all  was  quiet  again. 
Presently  the  command  moved  off,  leaving  what 
berries  they  did  not  have  time  to  pick.  From  Cham- 
bersburg,  Lee  turned  his  columns  southward  and 
moved  toward  Gettysburg  to  meet  the  Union  army 
that  was  advancing  in  the  opposite  direction.  The 
armies  met,  and  the  whole  world  knows  the  result. 

The  battle  lasted  three  days.  The  first  two  days 
were  decidedly  in  favor  of  the  Confederates.  My 
command  took  an  active  part  in  the  battle,  and  the 
adjutant  of  my  regiment  was  killed,  also  several  in 
my  company,  and  some  were  badly  wounded  and  had 
to  be  left.  I  was  struck  with  a  ball  on  the  shoulder, 
marking  my  coat,  and  had  a  bullet  hole  through  the 
rim  of  my  hat;  but  as  the  latter  was  caused  by  my 
own  careless  handling  of  my  pistol,  I  can't  count  it 
as  a  trophy. 

As  the  years  go  by  the  students  of  history  are 
more  and  more  amazed  at  the  boldness  of  Gen.  Lee 
in  placing  his  army  of  75,000,  some  say  65,000,  at 


FROM   BULL  RUN   TO  APPOMATTOX.  99 

Gettysburg,*  when  he  knew  that  between  him  and 
the  capital  of  the  Confederacy  (which  his  army 
was  intended  to  protect)  was  the  capital  of  the 
United  States  protected  by  an  army  of  not  less  than 
200,000  soldiers,  and  I  might  add  by  the  best- 
equipped  army  in  the  world,  for  the  United  States 
Government  had  the  markets  of  the  world  to  draw 
supplies  from. 

On  the  morning  of  the  third  day  of  the  battle  of 
Gettysburg  there  had  been  a  terrible  artillery  duel 
that  made  the  earth  tremble  for  miles  around,  and 
was  heard  far  and  wide. 

When  the  guns  got  too  hot  for  safety  the  firing 
ceased,  the  noise  died  away  and  the  soldiers  lay 
down  to  rest. 

During  this  interval  Gen.  Lee  called  his  generals 
together  for  counsel.  The  situation  had  grown  seri 
ous.  Lee's  losses  had  been  heavy  in  killed  and 
wounded,  and  his  stock  of  ammunition  was  grow 
ing  low. 

After  considerable  discussion  Lee  mounted  his 


*General  Longstreet,  in  his  book  "From  Manassas  to  Appo- 
mattox,"  says  the  Confederate  forces  that  crossed  the  Potomac  were 
75,568,  and  fixes  the  total  of  the  Union  army  at  100,000,  in  round 
figures.  General  Meade's  monthly  returns  for  June  30  shows  99,131 
present  for  duty  and  equipped  at  Gettysburg. 


100          FROM   BULL  RUN   TO  APPOMATTOX. 

gray  horse,  rode  off  a  few  paces  to  a  slight  elevation, 
and  lifting  his  field  glass  to  his  eyes  looked  intently 
at  the  long  lines  of  blue  that  stretched  along  the 
slopes,  in  the  hope  of  finding  some  weak  point 
which  he  might  attack.  Then  returning  to  his  offi 
cers  he  said  in  a  firm  voice:  "We  will  attack  the 
enemy's  center,  cut  through,  roll  back  their  wings 
on  either  side  and  crush  or  rout  their  army."  Then 
he  said :  "Gen.  Pickett  will  lead  the  attack." 

Pickett  was  a  handsome  young  Virginian,  a 
splendid  rider,  a  brave  commander,  and  one  of  the 
most  picturesque  figures  in  the  Confederate  army. 
Bowing  his  head  in  submission,  he  mounted  his 
horse,  and  tossing  back  his  long  auburn  locks,  rode 
off  and  disappeared  among  the  trees.  The  other 
officers  soon  joined  their  several  commands,  and 
Gen.  Lee  wras  left  alone  with  his  staff. 

There  was  ominous  silence  everywhere;  even  the 
winds  had  gone  away,  and  the  banners  hung  limp 
on  their  staffs.  The  birds  had  all  left  the  trees,  the 
cattle  had  left  the  fields,  and  the  small  squadrons  of 
cavalry  that  had  been  scouting  between  the  two 
armies  retired  and  took  position  on  either  flank. 
Yonder  in  front,  stretching  along  the  slopes,  lay  the 
blue  lines  of  the  enemy,  like  a  huge  monster  asleep, 


FROM   BULL  RUN  TO  APPOMATTOX.  IOI 

while  behind  were  the  hilltops,  all  frowning  with 
wide-mouthed  cannon  loaded  to  the  lips. 

Soon  long  lines  of  gray  came  stealing  out  of  the 
woods  like  waves  out  of  the  sea.  Long  lines  of  gray 
moved  over  the  fields  like  waves  over  the  sea.  These 
were  Pickett's  men ;  and  Pickett,  handsome  Pickett, 
was  at  their  head  riding  in  silence. 

The  polished  steel  of  the  guns,  as  the  lines  rose 
and  fell  over  the  uneven  ground,  caught  the  rays  of 
the  bright  July  sun,  developing  a  picture  of  daz 
zling  splendor. 

I  wonder  what  was  passing  through  the  minds  of 
those  boys  (their  average  age  perhaps  not  much 
over  twenty)  as  they  moved  step  by  step  toward 
those  bristling  lines  of  steel  in  their  front? 

They  were  thinking  of  home.  Far  over  the  hills, 
where  loved  ones  were  waiting. 

Step  by  step  came  the  gray,  nearer  and  nearer, 
when  suddenly  there  was  a  sound  that  shook  the 
hills  and  made  every  heart  quake.  It  was  the  signal 
gun. 

Simultaneously  with  the  sound  came  a  cannon 
ball  hissing  through  the  air,  and  passing  over  the 
heads  of  the  advancing  columns,  struck  the  ground 
beyond. 


102          FROM   BULL  RUN   TO  APPOMATTOX. 

Then  suddenly  the  whole  slope  was  wreathed  in 
smoke  and  flame,  accompanied  with  a  noise  like  the 
roar  of  a  thousand  cataracts. 

Was  it  a  huge  volcanic  eruption?  No.  The 
Blue  and  the  Gray  had  met.  The  smoke  rose  higher 
and  higher,  and  spread  wider  and  wider,  hiding  the 
sun,  and  then  gently  dropping  back,  hid  from 
human  eyes  the  dreadful  tragedy. 

But  the  battle  went  on  and  on,  and  the  roar  of  the 
guns  continued.  After  a  while,  when  the  sun  was 
sinking  to  rest,  there  was  a  hush.  The  noise  died 
away.  The  winds  came  creeping  back  from  the 
west,  and  gently  lifting  the  coverlet  of  smoke, 
revealed  a  strange  sight. 

The  fields  were  all  carpeted,  a  beautiful  carpet,  a 
costly  carpet,  more  costly  than  axminster  or  velvet. 
The  figures  were  horses  and  men  all  matted  and 
woven  together  with  skeins  of  scarlet  thread. 

The  battle  is  over  and  Gettysburg  has  passed  into 
history. 

The  moon  and  the  stars  come  out,  and  the  sur 
geons  with  their  attendants  appear  with  their  knives 
and  saws,  and  when  morning  came  there  were  stacks 
of  legs  and  arms  standing  in  the  fields  like  shocks  of 
corn. 


FROM   BULL  RUN   TO  APPOMATTOX.  103 

The  two  armies  confronted  each  other  all  next 
day,  but  not  a  shot  was  fired.  Up  to  noon  that  day, 
I  think  I  can  safely  say  there  was  not  a  man  in 
either  army,  from  the  commanders-in-chief  to  the 
humblest  private  in  the  ranks,  that  knew  how  the 
battle  had  gone  save  one,  and  that  one  was  Gen. 
Robert  E.  Lee. 

About  4  o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  while  the  cav 
alrymen  were  grazing  their  horses  in  the  rear  of  the 
infantry,  a  low,  rumbling  sound  was  heard  resem 
bling  distant  thunder,  except  that  it  was  continuous. 
A  private  (one  of  my  company)  standing  near  me 
stood  up  and  pointing  toward  the  battlefield  said, 
"Look  at  that,  will  you?"  A  number  of  us  rose  to 
our  feet  and  saw  a  long  line  of  wagons  with  their 
white  covers  moving  toward  us  along  the  road  lead 
ing  to  Chambersburg. 

Then  he  used  this  strange  expression:  "That 
looks  like  a  mice."  A  slang  phrase  often  used  at 
that  time.  He  meant  nothing  more  nor  less  than 
this:  "We  are  beaten  and  our  army  is  retreating." 

The  wagons  going  back  over  the  same  road  that 
had  brought  us  to  Gettysburg  told  the  story,  and 
soon  the  whole  army  knew  the  fact.  This  is  the 
first  time  Lee's  army  had  ever  met  defeat. 


104          FROM   BULL  RUN  TO  APPOMATTOX. 

It  is  said  that  the  loss  of  the  two  armies  was  about 
50,000.  This  probably  included  the  prisoners;  but 
there  were  not  many  prisoners  taken  on  either  side. 
The  major  portion  of  the  losses  was  in  killed  and 
wounded. 

The  badly  wounded  were  left  on  the  field  to  be 
cared  for  by  the  enemy.  Those  who  could  walk,  and 
those  who  were  able  to  ride  and  could  find  places 
in  the  wagons  followed  the  retreating  army. 

The  wagon  train  was  miles  and  miles  long.  It  did 
not  follow  the  road  to  Chambersburg  very  far,  but 
turned  off  and  took  a  shorter  cut  through  a  moun 
tainous  district  toward  the  point  where  the  army 
had  crossed  the  river  into  Maryland.  This  wagon 
train  was  guarded  by  a  large  body  of  cavalry,  in 
cluding  my  command. 

Just  as  the  sun  was  going  down,  dark  ominous 
clouds  came  trooping  up  from  the  west  with  thun 
der  and  lightning,  and  it  was  not  long  before  the 
whole  heavens  wrere  covered  and  rain  was  falling  in 
torrents. 

I  am  not  familiar  with  the  topography  of  the 
country  through  which  we  retreated,  but  all  night 
long  we  seemed  to  be  in  a  narrow  road,  with  steep 
hills  or  mountains  on  either  side.  We  had  with  us 


FROM   BULL  RUN  TO  APPOMATTOX.  105 

a  good  many  cattle  with  which  to  feed  the  army. 
These  got  loose  in  the  mountains  and  hills  covered 
with  timber,  and  between  their  constant  bellowing 
and  the  flashes  of  lightning  and  crashing  thunderthe 
night  was  hideous  in  the  extreme.  Wagons  were 
breaking  down,  others  getting  stalled,  and,  to  make 
matters  worse,  about  midnight  we  were  attacked  by 
the  Union  cavalry. 

This  mountainous  road  came  out  on  a  wide  turn 
pike,  and  just  at  this  point  Kilpatrick  (command 
ing  the  Union  cavalry)  had  cut  our  wagon  train  in 
two  and  planted  a  battery  of  artillery  with  the  guns 
pointing  toward  the  point  from  which  we  were 
advancing. 

The  cavalry  which  was  stretched  along  the 
wagon  train  was  ordered  to  the  front.  It  was  with 
great  difficulty  that  we  could  get  past  the  wagons 
in  the  darkness,  and  hence  our  progress  was  slow, 
but  we  finally  worked  our  way  up  to  the  front  and 
were  dismounted  and  formed  in  line  as  best  we 
could  on  either  side  of  the  road  among  the  rocks 
and  trees  and  then  moved  forward  in  an  effort  to 
drive  the  battery  away  from  its  position  so  we  could 
resume  our  march.  The  only  light  we  had  to  guide 
us  was  from  the  lightning  in  the  heavens  and  the 


106          FROM   BULL  RUN   TO  APPOMATTOX. 

vivid  flashes  that  came  from  the  enemy's  cannon. 
Their  firing  did  not  do  much  execution,  as  they 
failed  to  get  a  proper  range.  Besides,  we  were  so 
close  to  them  they  were  firing  over  our  heads,  but 
the  booming  of  the  guns  that  hour  of  night,  with  the 
roar  of  the  thunder,  was  terrifying  indeed,  and  be 
yond  description.  We  would  wait  for  a  lightning 
flash  and  advance  a  few  steps  and  halt,  and  then  for 
a  light  from  the  batteries  and  again  advance. 

In  the  meantime  day  was  breaking,  and  the  light 
from  the  sun  was  coming  in,  and  at  this  point  our 
enemy  disappeared  and  the  march  was  resumed. 
We  were  afraid  that  the  two  hundred  wagons  that 
had  already  passed  out  on  the  open  turnpike  had 
been  captured,  but  such  was  not  the  case. 

With  these  wagons  was  our  brigadier  com 
mander,  Gen.  Wm.  E.  Jones,  and  two  regiments  of 
cavalry.  We  got  so  mixed  up  with  the  enemy's 
cavalry  that  night  that  it  was  almost  impossible  to 
distinguish  friend  from  foe.  Our  general  was  a 
unique  character,  and  many  are  the  jokes  that  are 
told  on  him.  While  this  fighting  was  going  on 
those  about  him  would  address  him  as  general.  He 
rebuked  them  for  this  and  said,  "Call  me  Bill." 


FROM   BULL  RUN   TO  APPOMATTOX.  107 

The  explanation  was  that  the  enemy  was  so  close 
to  them  (in  fact,  mingled  with  them)  that  he  did 
not  want  them  to  know  that  there  was  a  general 
in  the  crowd. 

Two  days  afterwards  we  got  hold  of  one  of  the 
county  papers,  which,  in  giving  the  account  of  this 
attack,  stated  that  the  rebel,  Gen.  Wm.  E.  Jones, 
was  captured.  Perhaps  but  for  the  shrewdness  of 
Gen.  Wm.  E.  Jones  in  having  his  men  call  him 
"Bill"  instead  of  "General,"  it  might  have  been 
true.  The  firing  among  the  horses  attached  to  the 
wagons  that  had  gone  out  on  the  open  pike  fright 
ened  them  to  such  an  extent  that  they  were  stam 
peded,  and  we  saw  the  next  morning  as  we  rode 
along  that  some  of  the  wagons  had  tumbled  over 
the  precipice  on  the  right,  carrying  with  them  the 
horses;  also  the  wounded  soldiers  that  were  riding 
in  the  wagons. 

The  retreat  was  continued  all  the  next  day,  the 
enemy's  cavalry  attacking  us  whenever  they  could, 
but  without  effect. 

When  we  reached  the  river  we  found  that  our 
pontoon  bridge  had  been  partly  swept  away  by  the 
flood  caused  by  the  storm  I  have  just  spoken  of. 
There  was  nothing  to  do  but  make  a  stand  until  the 


I08          FROM   BULL  RUN   TO  APPOMATTOX. 

bridge  could  be  repaired,  or  until  the  river  should 
fall  sufficiently  to  allow  us  to  ford  it. 

My  recollection  is  that  we  remained  on  that  side 
of  the  river  about  a  week.  In  the  meantime  the 
whole  Northern  army  gathered  in  our  front  and 
threatened  us  with  destruction,  but  they  seemed 
to  be  as  afraid  of  us  as  we  were  of  them;  for 
instead  of  attacking  us,  they  began  to  throw  up 
breastworks  in  their  front  to  protect  themselves 
from  attack.  This  greatly  encouraged  us,  and  even 
the  privates  in  the  ranks  were  heard  to  remark, 
"We're  in  no  danger,  they're  afraid  of  us;  look  at 
their  breastworks." 

By  the  time  the  bridge  was  restored  the  river  had 
fallen  sufficiently  to  allow  the  cavalry  to  ford  it. 
The  army  leisurely  crossed,  the  infantry,  artillery 
and  wagons  crossing  on  the  bridge,  while  the  cav 
alry  waded  through  the  water.  The  passage  was 
made  at  night. 

Gen.  Meade,  who  commanded  the  Northern 
army,  was  very  much  censured  for  not  attacking 
Lee  while  he  was  on  the  north  side  of  the  river. 
The  Government  at  Washington  seemed  to  think  it 
would  have  resulted  in  the  surrender  of  his  army; 


FROM   BULL  RUN  TO  APPOMATTOX.  109 

but  we  in  the  ranks  on  the  Confederate  side  had  no 
fear  of  such  a  disaster. 

It  is  true,  we  were  short  of  ammunition,  but  the 
infantry  had  the  bayonet  and  the  cavalry  the  sabre, 
and  we  felt  satisfied  that  we  were  not  in  much 
danger. 

I  neglected  to  say  that  as  we  marched  through  the 
towns  of  Pennsylvania  it  was  distressing  to  see  the 
sad  faces  of  the  populace  as  they  gathered  at  their 
front  doors  and  windows  watching  us  as  we  moved 
through  their  streets.  It  resembled  a  funeral,  at 
which  all  the  people  were  mourners. 

It  was  so  different  when  we  were  marching 
through  the  cities  and  towns  of  the  South.  There 
we  wrere  greeted  by  the  people  with  waving  flags 
and  smiling  faces.  Another  thing  we  noticed  which 
was  quite  different  from  what  we  witnessed  in  our 
own  land  was  a  great  number  of  young  men  be 
tween  the  ages  of  18  and  45  in  citizen's  clothes. 
This  had  a  rather  depressing  effect  upon  us,  because 
it  showed  us  that  the  North  had  reserves  to  draw 
from,  while  our  men,  within  the  age  limit,  were  all 
in  the  army. 

It  is  said  that  misfortunes  never  come  singly. 

No  sooner  had  we  reached  the  south  bank  of  the 


1 10          FROM   BULL  RUN   TO  APPOMATTOX. 

Potomac  than  we  heard  the  distressing  news  that 
Vicksburg  had  fallen.  This  opened  the  Mississippi 
river  to  Farragut's  fleet  of  warships  stationed  at  the 
mouth  of  that  river,  and  cut  the  Confederacy  in 
two. 

Then  disaster  followed  disaster  in  that  part  of  the 
field;  but  as  I  said  in  the  beginning,  I  am  not  writ 
ing  a  history  of  the  war,  and  hence  will  not  attempt 
to  follow  the  movements  of  the  Western  armies. 

The  question  is  often  asked,  "Why  did  Gen.  Lee 
take  his  army  into  Pennsylvania?"  That  question 
is  easily  answered. 

For  the  same  reason  that  the  children  of  Israel 
went  down  into  Egypt.  There  was  a  famine  in  the 
land,  and  they  went  there  for  corn.  Food  was 
growing  scarcer  and  scarcer  in  the  South,  and  it 
became  a  serious  question  not  only  as  to  how  the 
army  was  to  be  fed,  but  also  the  citizens  at  home, 
the  old  men,  women  and  children. 

No  supplies  could  be  brought  from  beyond  the 
Mississippi.  Tennessee  and  Kentucky  were  in  the 
hands  of  the  enemy;  a  great  portion  of  Virginia,  in 
fact,  the  richest  farming  sections  were  ravished 
first  by  one  army,  then  by  the  other,  making  it  im- 


FROM   BULL   RUN   TO  APPOMATTOX.  Ill 

possible  for  the  farmers  to  put  in  their  grain  or  reap 
their  harvests. 

The  other  States  of  the  South  grew  mostly  cot 
ton  and  tobacco.  All  the  Southern  ports  were 
closely  blockaded;  hence  the  problem  of  sustaining 
human  life  was  growing  more  serious  every  day. 

If  Gen.  Lee  had  been  successful  at  the  battle  of 
Gettysburg  his  army  would  have  remained  north  of 
the  Potomac  until  late  in  the  fall,  and  would  have 
subsisted  upon  the  country  surrounding  his  camps. 
At  the  same  time,  the  farmers  on  the  eastern  side 
of  the  Blue  Ridge  and  in  the  rich  valley  of  Virginia 
could  have  planted  and  reaped  an  abundant  har 
vest,  which  would  have  sufficed  to  have  taken  care 
of  man  and  beast  during  the  long  winter  months; 
but  Providence  ruled  otherwise,  and  Lee  was  com 
pelled  to  move  his  army  back  and  provide  for  it  as 
best  he  could. 

Another  question  has  been  as  often  asked. 
"Why  was  Lee  not  successful  at  Gettysburg?" 
Gen.  Lee  seemed  to  have  anticipated  this  question, 
and  answered  it  in  language  almost  divine  when  he 
said,  "It  was  all  my  fault."  He  hoped  this  would 
have  quieted  criticism,  but  it  did  not,  and  for  forty- 


112          FROM   BULL   RUN  TO  APPOMATTOX. 

odd  years  critics  have  been  trying  to  fix  the  blame 
on  someone. 

Of  course,  I  cannot  solve  the  problem,  but  I 
would  suggest  this:  Gen.  Lee  could  not  take  the 
risk  at  Gettysburg  that  he  took  when  he  fought  his 
other  battles.  He  was  too  far  from  his  base  of  sup 
plies.  If  he  had  been  defeated  at  Seven  Pines, 
Manassas,  Antietam,  Fredericksburg,  Chancellors- 
ville,  the  Wilderness,  Spottsylvania,  Cold  Harbor, 
he  would  have  had  the  defences  of  Richmond  to 
fall  back  upon,  but  not  so  at  Gettysburg.  If  he 
should  be  defeated  there  he  must  retain  an  army 
strong  enough  to  cut  through  the  lines  of  the  enemy, 
in  order  to  reach  his  base  of  supplies. 

After  three  days'  fighting  at  Gettysburg  he  had 
gone  as  far  as  he  dared  go  toward  the  depletion  of 
his  men  and  supplies;  hence  he  ordered  a  retreat, 
knowing  that  he  was  still  strong  enough  to  handle 
the  enemy  and  reach  the  south  bank  of  the  Potomac. 

Some  say  it  was  because  Jackson  was  not  there; 
but  the  battles  of  the  Wilderness,  Spottsylvania  and 
Cold  Harbor,  where  Grant  was  in  command  of  the 
Northern  army,  demonstrated  that  Lee  could  win 
victories  without  Jackson.  Perhaps  what  contrib 
uted  most  to  Lee's  defeat  at  Gettysburg  was  the 


GEN.   ROBERT    E.    LEE. 

This  picture  was  taken  at  the  rear  of  General  Lee's  house  on  Franklin 
street,  Richmond,  in  April,  1865,  immediately  after  his  return  from  Appo- 
mattox,  and  represents  him  in  the  style  of  uniform  which  he  habitually 
wore  in  the  army. 


FROM   BULL  RUN  TO  APPOMATTOX.  113 

absence  of  the  cavalry  just  at  a  time  when  he  needed 
it  most.  Had  Stuart  kept  the  cavalry  between  the 
two  armies,  and  informed  Lee  as  to  the  movements 
of  the  enemy,  he  would  not  have  been  placed  in  such 
a  disadvantageous  position  as  he  was  at  Gettysburg. 
Then  again,  the  enemy  had  vastly  superior  numbers. 
Whatever  may  have  been  the  cause  of  his  defeat, 
Gen.  Lee,  with  the  magnanimity  characteristic  of 
him,  said :  "It  was  all  my  fault." 


CHAPTER  VII. 

From  Gettysburg  to  the  Wilderness. 

"But  who  shall  break  the  guards  that  wait 

Before  the  awful  face  of  Fate? 
The  tattered  standards  of  the  South 
Were  shrivelled  at  the  cannon's  mouth, 

And  all  her  hopes  were  desolate." 

The  main  army  marched  slowly  back  up  the  val 
ley,  crossing  at  the  various  gaps  east  of  Winchester, 
and  occupied  a  position  on  the  south  bank  of  the 
Rapidan,  a  branch  of  the  Rappahannock. 

The  cavalry  under  Stuart  took  the  east  side  of  the 
Blue  Ridge  and  marched  in  a  parallel  line  with  the 
infantry.  This  took  me  by  my  old  home.  I  could 
stop  only  for  a  few  minutes.  I  remember  that  I 
was  upbraided  for  my  appearance  and  was  com 
pared  to  the  "Prodigal  Son."  But  when  I  told 
them  what  I  had  passed  through,  they  were  ready 
to  kill  the  fatted  calf.  I  had,  though,  no  time  for 
this,  as  my  regiment  was  on  the  march.  Besides, 
I  knew  there  was  no  calf. 

The  enemy  kept  at  a  safe  distance,  and  did  not 
molest  us.  We  halted  at  Brandy  Station,  where  we 

114 


FROM   BULL  RUN  TO  APPOMATTOX.  115 

had  fought  the  battle  of  June  9th,  a  month  before. 
They  halted  at  the  Rappahannock  and  occupied 
both  sides  of  the  river. 

The  land  for  miles  and  miles  around  Brandy 
Station  was  almost  level  and  entirely  denuded  of 
fences,  the  soldiers  having  used  them  for  firewood. 
It  was  an  ideal  battlefield. 

Here  was  the  home  of  John  Minor  Botts,  a  dis 
tinguished  Virginian,  respected  and  protected  by 
the  Northern  army  for  his  Union  sentiments,  and 
by  the  South  for  his  integrity.  He  had  a  beautiful 
home  and  a  fine,  large  estate,  a  choice  herd  of  milch 
cows,  and  I  have  often  gone  there  at  milking  time 
and  got  my  canteen  filled  with  milk  just  from  the 
cow. 

The  price  we  paid  was  25  cents  a  quart,  in  Con 
federate  money.  We  thought  it  very  cheap  for 
such  good,  rich  milk,  and  all  of  us  had  a  good  word 
to  say  for  Mr.  Botts  and  his  family,  even  if  they 
wrere  Unionists. 

Gen.  Stuart  threw  out  his  pickets  across  the 
fields,  and  just  in  front  of  us  the  enemy  did  likewise. 
The  pickets  were  in  full  view  of  each  other,  and  a 
long-range  musket  might  have  sent  a  bullet  across 
the  line  at  any  time,  but  we  did  not  molest  each 


Il6          FROM  BULL  RUN  TO  APPOMATTOX. 

other.  At  night  the  lines  came  still  closer  together, 
and  we  could  distinctly  hear  them  relieving  their 
pickets  every  two  hours,  and  they  doubtless  could 
hear  us  doing  the  same. 

This  state  of  things  remained  for  several  weeks. 
Not  a  shot  was  fired  during  all  that  time,  and  so 
well  acquainted  did  the  pickets  of  each  army  be 
come,  that  it  was  not  an  uncommon  thing  to  see 
them  marching  across  the  fields  to  meet  each  other 
and  exchange  greetings,  and  often  the  Confederates 
traded  tobacco  for  coffee  and  sugar.  I  took  quite 
an  interest  in  this  bartering  and  trading.  This  got 
to  be  so  common  that  Gen.  Stuart  had  to  issue  an 
order  forbidding  it. 

After  a  while  conditions  changed.  Gen.  Lee 
had  sent  Longstreet's  corps  to  Tennessee  to  rein 
force  Bragg,  weakening  his  army  to  the  extent  of 
20,000  men.  Probably  for  this  reason  the  enemy 
determined  to  make  a  demonstration,  and  began  a 
movement  toward  our  front.  But  so  considerate 
were  they  that  they  did  not  open  fire  on  us  until  we 
had  gotten  beyond  range  of  their  guns.  This  fra 
ternal  condition  perhaps  never  existed  before  be 
tween  two  contending  armies. 

As  they  advanced  we  gradually  fell  back,  and 


FROM   BULL  RUN  TO  APPOMATTOX.  117 

when  we  had  retreated  about  a  mile,  they  began 
firing  on  us.  The  friendly  sentiment  was  soon  dis 
sipated,  we  returned  the  fire,  and  began  to  dis 
pute  their  passage.  But  as  they  had  a  much  larger 
force  we  gradually  released  the  territory,  fighting 
as  we  retreated. 

My  part  of  the  line  carried  me  directly  through 
the  streets  of  Culpeper,  and  the  fighting  in  and 
around  the  town  was  the  heaviest  that  we  encount 
ered.  Several  of  our  men  had  their  horses  killed, 
and  I  saw  the  enemy's  cavalry  pick  the  men  up  as 
they  ran  in  their  effort  to  escape. 

We  continued  to  fall  back  until  we  reached  the 
Rapidan.  Here  Gen.  Lee  was  strongly  entrenched, 
and  the  enemy,  after  remaining  in  our  front  for 
some  days,  fell  back  to  their  old  position  on  the 
Rappahannock.  There  was  one  item  of  interest 
which  I  neglected  to  mention  in  its  proper  place, 
and  that  was  an  address  which  Gen.  Lee  issued  to 
his  soldiers  after  his  long  march  back  from  Gettys 
burg.  It  was  printed  on  paper,  about  the  size  of  a 
half  sheet  of  note  paper.  It  began  with  these 
words :  "To  the  Soldiers  of  the  Army  of  Northern 
Virginia:"  "Soldiers,  we  have  sinned."  I  cannot 
remember  any  more  of  the  address,  but  those  words 


Il8          FROM  BULL  RUN  TO  APPOMATTOX. 

have  lingered  lovingly  in  rny  memory  ever  since. 
Each  soldier  was  handed  one  of  these  papers,  and  I 
am  ashamed  to  say  I  did  not  keep  my  copy,  and  do 
not  know  of  anyone  who  did. 

Shortly  after  this  demonstration  of  the  Union 
army,  Gen.  Lee  made  an  advance,  but  not  directly 
in  front.  He  moved  his  army  toward  the  northeast, 
and  his  efforts  seemed  to  have  been  to  make  a  flank 
movement  and  get  in  the  enemy's  rear,  just  as  had 
been  done  the  year  before  when  Jackson  got  in  the 
rear  of  Pope  at  Manassas.  The  cavalry  remained 
to  watch  the  enemy's  front,  and  prevent  a  move  to 
ward  Richmond. 

After  Lee  had  got  well  on  his  march  the  cav 
alry  crossed  the  river  and  began  to  drive  in  the 
enemy's  outposts  and  press  them  back  toward  Cul- 
peper,  and  then  on  through  Culpeper  to  Brandy 
Station,  where  the  enemy  made  a  stand. 

A  short  distance  beyond  the  station  was  a  slight 
elevation  running  across  our  front,  completely  hid 
ing  the  movements  of  the  enemy.  As  there  was  no 
elevation  anywhere  that  we  might  occupy  and  see 
beyond  the  ridge  in  our  front,  all  we  could  see  was 
the  large  force  occupying  the  crest  of  the  ridge. 


FROM   BULL  RUN  TO  APPOMATTOX.          119 

We  were  afraid  to  charge,  for  fear  of  running  into 
their  whole  army. 

After  a  good  deal  of  maneuvering  and  waiting 
we  saw  the  long  lines  of  Union  cavalry  coming  over 
the  ridge  and  moving  toward  us  in  the  line  of  battle. 
Closer  and  closer  they  came,  and  when  they  got 
within  200  yards  of  us,  their  leader  ordered  a 
charge,  and  it  looked  as  if  the  whole  column  was 
coming  right  into  our  ranks. 

I  have  a  vivid  recollection  of  the  scene.  I  no 
ticed  as  they  approached  that  quite  a  number  of 
them,  perhaps  every  third  man,  wras  reining  in  his 
horse,  which  meant,  "I  have  gone  as  far  as  I  mean 
to  go."  Of  course,  what  I  saw  my  comrades  saw, 
and  we  knew  at  once,  by  this  action,  they  were 
whipped;  but  the  others  came  on,  dashing  right 
into  our  ranks,  firing  as  they  came.  The  dust  and 
smoke  from  the  guns  made  it  almost  impossible  to 
distinguish  friend  from  foe,  but  I  noticed  close  to 
me  a  large  Union  officer,  riding  a  splendid  horse, 
with  his  sabre  over  his  head,  calling  his  men  to 
follow  him.  I  had  my  sabre  drawn,  and  I  raised  it 
over  his  head,  but  did  not  have  the  heart  to  hit 
him.  Somehow  or  other,  my  arm  would  not  obey 
me.  It  seemed  too  much  like  murder. 


120          FROM   BULL  RUN  TO  APPOMATTOX. 

But  Lieut.  Armistead  (an  officer  in  my  com 
pany)  was  not  so  chicken-hearted,  but  spurred  his 
horse,  "Long  Tom,"  up  until  his  pistol  almost 
touched  the  officer,  and  shot  him  in  the  side.  I 
saw  him  fall  from  his  horse,  and  afterward  at 
tempt  to  get  up.  Then  I  lost  sight  of  him.  It  was 
said  to  be  Gen.  Baker  of  the  Union  army,  who  was 
in  command  of  the  forces  making  the  attack.  We 
took  some  prisoners,  others  in  the  confusion,  amid 
the  dust  and  smoke,  fled  and  escaped  within  their 
own  lines.  Then  there  was  a  halt  for  an  hour  or 
more. 

Several  fresh  regiments  of  our  cavalry  came  up 
and  took  positions,  ready  for  attack  or  defence, 
whichever  it  might  be. 

What  troubled  our  command  was  to  know  what 
was  beyond  that  ridge.  We  were  afraid  to  move 
forward,  for  fear  of  running  into  ambush. 

Presently  we  saw  a  magnificent  sight.  The  col 
onel  of  the  Fourth  Virginia  Regiment,  mounted 
on  a  beautiful  black  horse,  moved  forward,  calling 
upon  his  regiment  to  follow  him.  It  was  Colonel, 
afterward  General,  Rosser. 

As  the  regiment  moved  toward  the  enemy's  lines, 
at  a  gallop,  the  cry  went  up  and  down  the  ranks, 


FROM   BULL  RUN  TO  APPOMATTOX.  121 

"Look  at  Rosser!  Look  at  Rosser!"  Everybody  ex 
pected  to  see  him  tumble  from  his  horse,  shot  to 
death.  But  he  went  forward,  leading  his  men,  and 
when  the  enemy  discovered  that  we  were  coming  in 
earnest,  they  turned  on  their  heels  and  fled.  Other 
regiments  followed  in  rapid  succession,  and  when 
we  reached  the  top  of  the  ridge  we  found  that  the 
enemy  were  disappearing  in  the  distance  as  fast 
as  their  flying  horses  could  carry  them.  We  after 
ward  learned  that  their  stand  at  Brandy  Station 
was  only  intended  to  check  our  forces  until  theirs 
could  get  across  the  Rappahannock  river,  about 
three  miles  distant. 

After  this  fracas  was  over  we  began  to  look 
about  us  to  see  whether  any  of  us  showed  marks  of 
the  strife.  I  found  a  bullet  hole  through  the  strap 
that  held  my  sabre  to  my  belt,  and  as  the  strap  laid 
close  to  my  side,  it  was  allowed  to  pass  as  a  "close 
shave."  But  the  greatest  danger  I  had  been  in,  I 
think,  was  from  the  sabre  of  Gen.  Baker.  A  right 
cut  from  that  strong  arm  of  his  could  have  severed 
my  head. 

There  was  one  of  our  command  who  was  shot  in 
the  neck,  and  an  artery  cut.  The  blood  spurted 
out  like  water  from  a  spigot.  He  dismounted  and 


122          FROM   BULL  RUN  TO  APPOMATTOX. 

stood  by  his  horse  until,  weakened  by  the  loss  of 
blood,  he  fell  to  the  ground.  He  realized,  as  every 
one  else  did,  that  he  was  beyond  human  aid.  As 
Solomon  put  it  in  Ecclesiastes,  "The  golden  bowl 
had  been  broken." 

But  to  go  back.  Early  in  the  day,  when  we  were 
driving  the  enemy  from  our  front,  the  cavalry  dis 
mounted  and  fought  on  foot.  This  was  often  done, 
as  the  men  can  do  better  execution  when  on  the 
ground,  and,  besides,  they  are  better  protected  from 
the  fire  of  the  enemy.  On  foot,  you  have  to  protect 
you  the  trees  and  the  rocks  and  the  fences,  every  lit 
tle  hillock;  in  fact,  anything  else  that  would  stop  a 
bullet,  but  on  horseback  you  are  a  splendid  target 
for  the  sharpshooter.  Hence,  the  cavalry  on  some 
occasions  preferred  to  be  on  foot.  But  when  there 
was  any  retreating  to  do,  like  Richard  III,  they 
wanted  a  horse. 

On  this  particular  occasion  I  was  among  those 
chosen  to  lead  the  horses.  In  fact,  it  always  fell  to 
the  fourth  man.  He  sat  on  his  horse,  while  the 
other  three  men  dismounted  and  went  to  the  front. 
These  were  called  the  led  horses,  and,  of  course, 
they  followed  in  the  rear,  keeping  as  much  out  of 
danger  as  possible. 


FROM   BULL  RUN  TO  APPOMATTOX.  123 

As  we  moved  along  through  the  fields  we  passed 
a  small  dwelling;  I  halted  in  front  of  the  door  and 
asked  the  good  lady  of  the  house  for  something  to 
eat.  She  came  out,  trembling  from  head  to  foot, 
with  two  other  ladies,  who  I  presume  were  her 
daughters,  and  gave  me  some  bread. 

Seeing  the  long  string  of  led  horses,  she  asked  in 
the  most  distressed  tone  if  all  the  men  belonging 
to  those  horses  had  been  killed.  I  explained  the 
meaning  of  the  horses  being  led,  and  assured  her 
they  were  in  no  danger,  as  the  enemy  was  retreating 
rapidly  in  our  front,  and  all  danger  had  passed. 

Just  an  hour  before  this  the  conditions  were  re 
versed.  I  was  on  foot,  and  on  the  firing  line,  and 
another  was  leading  my  horse. 

We  had  taken  shelter  behind  a  low-railed  fence, 
against  which  the  Yankees,  who  had  just  left  it,  had 
thrown  the  earth  as  a  protection.  We  were  all  ly 
ing  down  close  to  the  ground  and  firing  over  the  top 
of  this  obstruction,  when  a  shell  came  hissing  across 
the  field,  striking  the  breast\vork  a  short  distance 
from  where  I  lay,  scattering  the  rails  and  dirt  in 
every  direction.  I  remarked  that  as  lightning 
never  struck  twice  in  the  same  place,  that  was  the 
safest  spot  to  get,  and  I  began  to  crawl  toward  it. 


124          FROM   BULL  RUN  TO  APPOMATTOX. 

I  had  hardly  moved  a  yard  when  another  shell 
struck  in  this  very  same  spot,  verifying  the  old 
adage,  that  "there  are  exceptions  to  all  rules." 

We  were  ordered  to  move  forward  from  this 
position  across  the  open  field,  which  we  did,  the 
bullets  buzzing  past  our  ears  like  so  many  bees. 
We  went  a  few  hundred  yards  and  then  lay  down 
flat  on  the  ground  in  the  grass,  and  continued  firing 
at  the  puffs  of  smoke  in  our  front,  as  that  was  all 
we  could  see.  The  enemy  was  lying  as  flat  to  the 
ground  as  we  were.  A  great  deal  of  this  kind  of 
fighting  is  done  in  this  way.  It  doesn't  rise  to  the 
dignity  of  a  battle,  but  is  called  skirmishing. 

One  poor  fellow  lying  next  to  me  was  struck  by 
a  bullet  with  a  dull  thud,  that  caused  him  to  cry 
out  in  pain,  and  as  we  moved  forward  I  saw  him 
writhing  in  agony.  I  presume  he  was  not  mortally 
wounded,  as  mortal  wounds  do  not  cause  much  or 
any  pain. 

In  the  meantime,  our  enemy  crept  away  from  our 
front,  and  mounting  their  horses,  galloped  off.  We 
followed  in  hot  pursuit. 

But  to  return  to  where  we  left  our  friends  (the 
enemy  crossing  the  Rappahannock) .  We  did  not 
pursue  them  beyond  the  river,  but  moved  northeast, 


FROM   BULL   RUN  TO  APPOMATTOX.  125 

crossing  the  river  at  the  same  place  where  we  had 
crossed  on  the  march  to  Gettysburg.  It  was  about 
9  o'clock  at  night;  beyond  we  could  see  all  the  hills 
brilliantly  illuminated  with  camp-fires.  It  was  a 
gorgeous  spectacle. 

As  we  had  driven  the  enemy  across  the  river  a 
few  miles  below,  of  course,  we  in  the  ranks,  con 
cluded  that  these  were  the  camp-fires  of  the  enemy, 
and  that  a  night  attack  was  to  be  made  upon  their 
camp.  But  we  crossed,  notwithstanding,  and  as  we 
rode  up  to  the  blazing  fires  we  discovered  that  we 
were  right  in  the  midst  of  Lee's  infantry. 

We  went  into  camp  for  the  night.  Early  in  the 
morning  we  were  in  the  saddle,  with  both  cavalry 
and  infantry  on  the  march.  Marching  parallel  to 
us  was  the  whole  Union  army.  They  were  making 
for  the  defences  of  Washington,  and  we  were  trying 
to  cut  them  off. 

When  we  got  as  far  as  Bristoe  Station,  not  far 
from  Manassas,  Gen.  Lee  made  a  swoop  down  upon 
them  and  tried  to  bring  them  to  battle,  but  they 
were  too  swift  for  us.  We  did,  however,  have  quite 
a  severe  fight  at  Bristoe  Station  between  the  ad 
vance  guard  of  our  army  and  the  rear  of  the  enemy. 

Gen.  A.  P.  Hill,  commanding  one  of  Lee's  corps, 


126          FROM   BULL  RUN   TO  APPOMATTOX. 

made  the  attack.  It  was  very  severe  while  it  lasted, 
and  the  roar  of  the  musketry  was  terrific.  But  the 
enemy  got  away. 

After  it  was  over  one  of  my  company  (Frank 
Peak)  heard  Gen.  Lee  severely  reprimand  Gen. 
A.  P.  Hill  in  these  words:  "Gen.  Hill,  your  line 
was  too  short  and  thin."  I  presume  Gen.  Lee 
thought  if  Gen.  Hill  had  extended  his  line  farther 
out,  he  might  have  captured  the  entire  force  in  our 
front. 

In  this  battle  Rev.  A.  W.  Green  (to  whom  I  have 
already  referred  as  being  captured  at  Harper's 
Ferry  by  Jackson)  had  one  of  his  ringers  shot  off. 
I  have  often  joked  him  and  said  it  was  I  who  shot 
it  off.  Just  as  I  am  writing  this  Mr.  Green,  whom 
I  have  not  seen  for  10  years,  came  into  my  office, 
and  I  told  him  what  I  was  doing.  He  held  up  his 
hand,  minus  one  finger,  and  said,  "Yes,  you  did 
that." 

We  followed  the  retreating  enemy  some  distance 
below  Manassas,  but  could  not  overtake  them.  We 
halted  for  awhile,  and  a  few  days  afterward  the 
whole  army,  cavalry,  infantry  and  artillery,  march 
ed  slowly  back  toward  the  Rapidan. 

The  expedition  was  fruitless.    The  infantry,  as 


FROM   BULL  RUN  TO  APPOMATTOX.  127 

is  nearly  always  the  case,  marched  with  the  wagon- 
trains,  while  the  cavalry,  in  nearly  every  instance, 
leaves  the  wagons  behind,  depending  upon  what 
ever  can  be  picked  up  from  the  farmers  or  the 
enemy. 

In  this  particular  section  at  this  time,  the  farmers 
had  no  chance  to  plant  crops.  The  trees  had  al 
ready  been  stripped  of  fruit.  We  could  not  even 
find  a  persimmon,  and  we  suffered  terribly  with 
hunger.  Of  course,  there  was  plenty  of  grass  for 
the  horses,  but  the  men  were  entirely  destitute  of 
provisions. 

We  were  looking  forward  to  Manassas  with 
vivid  recollections  of  the  rich  haul  that  we  had 
made  there  just  prior  to  the  second  battle  of  Manas 
sas,  and  everybody  was  saying,  "We'll  get  plenty 
when  we  get  to  Manassas."  We  were  there  be 
fore  we  knew  it.  Everything  was  changed.  There 
was  not  a  building  anywhere.  The  soil,  enriched 
by  the  debris  from  former  camps,  had  grown  a  rich 
crop  of  weeds  that  came  half  way  up  to  the  sides 
of  our  horses,  and  the  only  way  we  recognized  the 
place  was  by  our  horses  stumbling  over  the  railroad 
tracks  at  the  junction.  It  was  a  grievous  disap 
pointment  to  us. 


128          FROM   BULL  RUN  TO  APPOMATTOX. 

While  fighting  just  below  Manassas,  the  enemy 
threw  a  shell  in  among  the  led  horses,  which  burst 
and  killed  several  of  them. 

A  short  time  after  that,  while  lying  in  camp,  our 
stomachs  crying  bitterly  for  food,  someone  suggest 
ed  we  try  horse  flesh.  I  remember  pulling  out  my 
knife  and  sharpening  it  on  a  stone  preparatory  to 
cutting  a  steak  from  one  of  the  dead  horses,  but  just 
at  this  point  a  caravan  on  horseback  arrived  with  a 
supply  of  food.  We  had  a  rich  feast,  and  were 
happy  again. 

I  do  not  know  where  the  Union  army  halted  in 
their  retreat  toward  Washington,  but  in  a  day  or 
two  after  this,  Lee  moved  his  entire  army  back  to 
ward  its  old  camp  on  the  Rapidan,  as  I  have  just 
said. 

I  think  this  was  early  in  November.  We  felt 
winter  approaching,  and  I  remember  when  we 
reached  the  Rappahannock,  although  there  was  a 
bridge  a  mile  below,  the  cavalry  forded  the  stream, 
the  men  getting  wet  above  their  knees,  as  the  water 
came  well  up  to  the  sides  of  the  horses.  Gen.  Lee, 
noticing  that  the  men  were  wet  from  fording  the 
river,  said  to  our  brigade  commander  (Gen.  Lo- 
max)  in  a  kind  and  fatherly  tone, "My !  general,  you 


MRS.   R.   E.   LEE, 

Wife  of  Gen.  R.  E.  Lee,  taken  from  an  old  photograph  soon  after  the  close 
of  the  war.    The  spots  are  result  of  defects  on  the  original  photograph. 


FROM   BULL  RUN  TO  APPOMATTOX.          129 

should  have  used  the  bridge  below."  I  suppose 
Gen.  Lomax  thought  that  as  we  were  soldiers  we 
ought  not  to  mind  a  little  wetting,  even  if  the  cold 
November  winds  were  blowing. 

My  recollection  is  that  the  whole  army,  infantry, 
cavalry  and  artillery,  encamped  in  and  around 
Brandy  Station  and  prepared  for  winter.  The  in 
fantry  began  to  build  little  low  huts,  the  cracks 
filled  up  with  mud  and  tops  covered  with  slabs 
split  from  logs. 

Every  mess  had  its  own  hut.  The  cavalry,  know 
ing  that  they  would  likely  be  kept  on  the  march, 
made  no  preparation  for  winter. 

Some  time  after  this  (I  can't  remember  just  how 
long)  orders  came  to  break  camp  and  move  back  on 
the  south  side  of  the  Rapidan.  I  do  not  know  what 
commotion  this  move  caused  in  the  ranks  of  the  in 
fantry,  but  we  cavalrymen,  who  remained  for  some 
time  in  that  neighborhood  and  saw  the  deserted 
villages,  sympathized  with  the  infantry  in  the  loss 
of  their  homes.  But  like  the  Six  Hundred,  "Theirs 
not  to  reason  why ;  theirs  but  to  do  and  die." 

Shortly  afterward  the  cavalry  withdrew  to  the 
south  bank  of  the  Rapidan,  near  the  infantry.  I 


130          FROM   BULL  RUN   TO  APPOMATTOX. 

think  this  was  in  Orange  county,  near  Orange 
Courthouse,  probably  half  a  mile  from  the  river. 

Some  time  in  January  a  courier  came  in  from  the 
front  across  the  river  and  reported  that  the  enemy's 
cavalry  had  been  seen  a  few  miles  below,  moving 
toward  our  camp. 

The  bugles  sounded  "saddle  up"  all  through  the 
camp,  and  several  regiments  of  cavalry  were  soon 
in  line  and  crossing  the  river.  They  dismounted, 
formed  in  line  of  battle,  and  moved  across  the 
fields.  We  soon  found  the  enemy  in  our  front,  also 
dismounted,  and  firing  began.  We  were  ordered  to 
fall  back  gradually  toward  the  river,  fighting  as 
we  retreated,  the  object  being  to  draw  the  enemy 
toward  the  batteries  that  were  on  the  opposite  side 
of  the  river. 

As  we  neared  the  banks  of  the  river  where  the 
led  horses  were,  our  purpose  was  to  remount  and  to 
cross  the  river,  but  the  enemy  pressed  us  so  close 
that  some  of  us,  I  among  them,  were  compelled  to 
cross  on  foot.  This  was  rather  a  chilly  experience, 
when  you  consider  that  it  was  the  middle  of  Janu 
ary.  But  we  got  over,  and  our  batteries  opened  fire 
on  the  enemy  and  compelled  them  to  fall  back. 

Just  as  we  came  out  of  the  river  we  met  the  in- 


FROM   BULL  RUN  TO  APPOMATTOX.  131 

f  antry  coming  down  and  taking  position  behind  the 
breastworks  that  had  been  thrown  up  along  the 
south  bank  of  the  river.  Those  who  had  forded  the 
river  were  allowed  to  go  to  camp,  a  short  distance 
off,  to  dry  their  clothes,  for  it  was  freezing  weather. 

I  had  mounted  my  horse,  and  as  I  passed  the 
column  of  infantry  coming  down  to  the  river,  a 
bullet  fired  by  the  enemy's  sharpshooter  on  the  op 
posite  side  struck  one  of  the  men,  and  he  fell  in  a 
heap,  dead,  at  the  feet  of  my  horse.  He  dropped  as 
suddenly  as  if  he  had  been  taken  by  some  powerful 
force  and  thrown  violently  to  the  ground.  Every 
joint  and  muscle  in  his  body  seemed  to  have  given 
way  in  an  instant. 

After  we  had  dried  our  clothes  before  the  camp- 
fire  our  command  re-crossed  the  river  to  find  out 
what  the  enemy  proposed  to  do.  We  were  again 
dismounted  and  formed  in  line  across  the  field  as 
before,  and,  moving  forward,  found  the  enemy  just 
beyond  the  reach  of  our  batteries.  Lying  close  to 
the  ground  we  began  firing  at  each  other,  continu 
ing  long  after  dark.  Then  the  firing  ceased.  After 
remaining  there  for  some  time,  someone  in  com 
mand  (I  don't  know  who  it  was)  ordered  Capt. 
Gibson  of  our  company  to  send  four  men  with  in- 


132          FROM  BULL  RUN  TO  APPOMATTOX. 

structions  to  creep  up  as  near  as  they  could  to  the 
enemy's  lines,  stay  there,  and  report  whenever  the 
enemy  withdrew. 

I  was  selected  as  one  of  the  four  men.  When  we 
got  pretty  near  their  line  we  got  down  flat  on  the 
ground,  and  like  so  many  snakes  crawled  along  until 
we  got  as  close  as  we  dared.  We  could  distinctly 
see  them  on  their  horses,  but  we  did  not  remain 
long  before  we  saw  them  withdraw.  We  heard 
their  officers  giving  the  command. 

We  then  came  back,  and  had  some  difficulty  get 
ting  in  without  being  shot,  from  the  fact  that  the 
regiment  to  which  we  belonged  had  been  with 
drawn  and  another  put  in  its  place,  and  the  men 
did  not  seem  to  understand  that  we  were  out  on  this 
mission.  We  made  our  report,  and  shortly  after 
ward  mounted,  re-crossed  the  river  and  went  into 
camp.  It  proved  to  be  nothing  more  than  a  recon- 
noissance  of  the  enemy's  cavalry,  probably  to  find 
out  whether  Lee's  army  was  still  encamped  on  the 
river. 

Some  time  after  this,  perhaps  two  or  three  weeks, 
while  on  picket  a  few  miles  up  the  river,  a  consider 
able  distance  from  the  main  army's  encampment, 
a  body  of  the  enemy's  cavalry  crossed  the  river 


FROM  BULL  RUN  TO  APPOMATTOX.          133 

somewhere  between  the  pickets,  and  got  behind  the 
line  of  pickets  unobserved. 

It  was  a  very  foggy  morning.  Our  post  consisted 
of  six  men,  and  our  position  was  a  few  hundred 
yards  back  of  the  river. 

Two  of  the  men  were  on  picket;  the  others  were 
at  the  post. 

About  6  o'clock  in  the  morning  we  heard  a  few 
shots  in  our  rear.  One  of  our  men  was  sent  back  to 
find  out  the  cause  of  it.  He  had  not  been  gone 
many  minutes  when  we  heard  other  shots,  which 
forced  us  to  the  conclusion  that  the  enemy  in  some 
way  had  gotten  behind  us.  Our  pickets  had  also 
heard  the  firing,  and  came  in  to  find  out  what  the 
trouble  was. 

We  followed  the  direction  of  the  shots,  and  had 
not  gone  far  before  we  saw  through  the  heavy  fog 
quite  a  large  body  of  cavalry. 

Whether  friend  or  foe,  it  was  impossible  to  de 
termine.  So  we  thought  discretion  the  better  part 
of  valor  and  immediately  turned,  each  fellow  tak 
ing  care  of  himself. 

Three  went  up  the  river.  Faunt  Neill  and  my 
self  took  the  opposite  course.  The  Yankees  (for 
it  proved  to  be  the  enemy)  had  seen  us,  and  started 


134         FROM  BULL  RUN  TO  APPOMATTOX. 

in  pursuit.  Neill  and  I  rushed  down  the  hill 
toward  the  river,  passing  a  grove  of  small  pine 
trees.  My  comrade  turned  abruptly  to  the  right 
and  hid  himself  in  this  sanctuary,  while  I  contin 
ued  across  the  meadow  and  up  the  hill  on  the  op 
posite  side  into  the  woods  and  escaped. 

We  all  turned  up  in  camp  the  next  day  except 
one.  He  had  ridden  straight  into  the  enemy's  lines, 
thinking  they  were  Confederates.  This  ended  his 
military  career. 

I  think  it  was  about  the  first  of  February  an  order 
had  been  sent  from  headquarters  allowing  a  cer 
tain  number  of  regiments  a  furlough.  It  extended 
to  my  regiment.  Some  of  the  companies  could  not 
avail  themselves  of  it,  because  their  homes  were 
wholly  in  the  territory  occupied  by  the  enemy.  My 
company  was  among  the  fortunate  ones,  although 
many  of  our  men  were  from  Loudoun  and  Fau- 
quier,  and  the  enemy  was  occupying  part  of  this 
territory  and  making  frequent  raids  through  the 
other  portions.  But  our  officers  stood  sponsor  for 
us,  and  we  started  for  our  respective  homes  as 
happy  as  children  let  out  of  school. 

Those  of  us  living  in  Loudoun  and  Fauquier  had 
to  observe  the  greatest  caution  to  keep  from  being 


FROM   BULL  RUN  TO  APPOMATTOX.  135 

picked  up  by  the  enemy's  scouting  cavalry  before 
reaching  home.  But  there  were  no  misfortunes, 
and  with  joy  unspeakable,  we,  one  by  one,  reached 
our  "Old  Homesteads." 

To  attempt  to  express  the  pleasure  we  got  out  of 
this  little  vacation  would  tax  the  English  language 
severely. 

'Tis  true  that  these  were  not  just  the  old  homes 
we  had  left  three  years  before  in  our  bright  new 
uniforms,  with  well-groomed  horses  and  full  haver 
sacks.  The  marching  and  counter-marching  of 
first  one  army,  then  the  other,  destroying  fences  and 
barns  and  driving  off  cattle  and  horses,  made  a  great 
change  in  the  appearance  of  things. 

No  one  attempted  to  keep  up  appearances.  Be 
sides,  at  this  time,  nearly  every  home  mourned  one 
or  more  dead.  The  most  of  my  old  schoolmates 
who  had  crossed  the  Potomac  en  route  for  Gettys 
burg  went  down  on  that  hot  July  afternoon  when 
Pickett  made  his  famous  charge,  for  the  Eighth 
Virginia  Infantry,  in  which  nearly  all  my  school 
mates  had  enlisted,  was  almost  annihilated  that 
bloody  afternoon. 

Among  the  killed  was  Edwin  Bailey,  whom  I 
have  already  mentioned  as  going  out  with  me  from 


136          FROM   BULL  RUN   TO  APPOMATTOX. 

Middleburg  in  the  spring  of  1862,  he  to  rejoin  his 
regiment,  and  I  to  enlist  in  the  Sixth  Virginia  Cav 
alry.  By  his  side  in  that  battle  was  his  brother 
John.  Edwin  fell  first,  mortally  wounded,  and 
John,  severely  wounded,  fell  across  him.  Edwin 
said,  "John,  if  you  get  home,  tell  them  I  died  a 
Christian."  These  were  his  only  and  last  words. 

I  have  often  used  this  incident  as  an  exemplifica 
tion  of  the  claims  of  Christianity. 

Notwithstanding  all  this,  we  enjoyed  our  vaca 
tion  immensely,  but  there  was  not  a  day  that 
we  were  not  in  danger  of  being  surrounded  and 
captured.  The  bluecoats  were  scouting  through 
the  country  almost  continuously  in  search  of  Mos- 
by's  "gang,"  as  they  called  it.  We  had  to  keep  on 
guard  and  watch  the  roads  and  hilltops  every  hour 
of  the  day.  We  had  the  advantage  of  knowing  the 
country  and  the  hiding  places  and  the  short  cuts, 
and  then  we  had  our  loyal  servants,  always  willing 
to  aid  us  to  escape  "them  Yankees." 

For  instance,  I  made  a  visit  to  Sunny  Bank,  the 
home  of  my  brother-in-law,  E.  C.  Broun.  My 
horse  was  hitched  to  the  rack,  and  I  was  inside  en 
joying  the  hospitalities  of  an  old  Virginia  home, 
when  one  of  the  little  darkies  rushed  in  and  said, 


FROM   BULL  RUN  TO  APPOMATTOX.  137 

"Yankees."  They  were  soon  all  around  the  house, 
but,  before  they  got  there,  one  of  the  servants  took 
the  saddle  and  bridle  off  my  steed,  hid  them,  and 
turned  him  loose  in  the  garden,  where  he  posed  as 
the  old  family  driving  nag,  while  I  went  to  the  back 
porch,  climbed  a  ladder,  and  lifting  a  trap-door, 
got  in  between  the  ceiling  and  the  roof.  The  trap 
door  was  so  adjusted  that  it  did  not  show  an  open 
ing.  The  ladder  was  taken  away,  and  there  I  stayed 
until  the  enemy  departed.  I  got  back  home 
safely,  eight  miles  off,  and  had  other  close  calls, 
but  owing  to  the  fidelity  of  the  colored  people,  who 
were  always  on  the  watch,  and  whose  loyalty  to  the 
Confederate  soldiers,  whether  they  belonged  to  the 
family  in  which  they  lived  or  not,  was  touching  and 
beautiful  beyond  comprehension.  They  always 
called  the  Confederates  "Our  Soldiers,"  and  the 
other  side  "Them  Yankees." 

About  this  time  a  new  star  appeared  upon  the 
field  of  Mars.  John  S.  Mosby,  a  native  of  Warren- 
ton,  Fauquier  county,  Virginia,  serving  as  lieuten 
ant  in  the  First  Virginia  Cavalry,  was  captured 
and  put  in  prison  in  Washington  in  the  old  Capitol. 
He  was  not  there  long  before  he  was  exchanged, 
but  while  there  his  mind  was  busv.  He  conceived 


138          FROM  BULL  RUN  TO  APPOMATTOX. 

the  idea  that  if  he  had  a  small  body  of  men  well 
armed  and  well  mounted,  and  given  an  independ 
ent  command,  he  could  render  the  Confederacy 
great  service  by  operating  along  the  lines  of  the 
B.  &  O.,  the  C.  &  O.,  and  the  Orange  and  Alexan 
dria  railroads,  and  also  upon  the  enemy's  supply 
trains,  that  were  constantly  moving  to  and  fro  up 
and  down  the  valley  and  other  sections.  He  re 
ported  his  plan  to  Gen.  Stuart  when  he  got  out  of 
prison.  Gen.  Stuart  favored  it,  and  referred  it  to 
Gen.  Lee,  and  Gen.  Lee  referred  it  to  the  War  De 
partment  at  Richmond,  resulting  in  Mosby's  being 
commissioned  a  captain,  with  ten  men  detached 
from  his  regiment  (the  First  Virginia  Cavalry) 
with  permission  to  increase  the  number  by  recruit 
ing  from  the  young  men  in  the  district  where  he 
operated. 

Mosby  lost  no  time  in  getting  his  little  force  to 
gether  at  some  point  in  Loudoun  county.  His  first 
expedition  was  to  Fairfax  Courthouse.  His  plan 
was  to  get  as  close  to  the  enemy  as  he  could,  hide 
his  men  behind  a  hill  or  in  a  body  of  timber,  and 
rush  pell-mell  upon  a  passing  wagon-train,  or  a  de 
tachment  of  Union  troops,  stampede  them  and  cap 
ture  what  he  could.  In  this  way  he  captured  or  de- 


FROM   BULL  RUN  TO  APPOMATTOX.  139 

stroyed  a  great  many  wagons,  took  horses,  mules 
and  prisoners  by  the  thousands.  My  younger 
brother  Richard  joined  this  command  in  1864,  be 
ing  a  little  over  17  years  old. 

It  may  seem  strange  to  the  present  age  that  a 
country  devastated  as  this  portion  of  Virginia  was 
at  this  time,  with  so  many  homes  mourning  the  loss 
of  their  brave  sons  slain  in  battle,  or  maimed  for 
life,  with  starvation  almost  staring  them  in  the  face, 
with  the  capital  of  their  country  besieged  by  great 
armies,  with  what  we  would  call  at  this  day  depri 
vation  and  suffering  incomparable,  that  the  people 
could  have  any  heart  for  festivities,  such  as  dances 
and  plays.  But  such  was  the  fact.  The  soldiers 
during  their  furlough  were  received  everywhere 
as  heroes,  and  were  banqueted  and  entertained  as  if 
peace  and  plenty  reigned  throughout  the  land. 
Many  a  parody  like  the  following  was  made: 
"There  was  a  sound  of  revelry  by  night,"  and  "Les 
Miserables"  (Lee's  miserables)  had  gathered  there. 

But  it  must  be  remembered  that  it  was  this  spirit 
among  the  Southern  people  that  made  them  endure 
their  hardships  and  sustain  the  conflict  as  long  as 
they  did.  It  was  the  women  standing  loyally  by 
their  husbands,  brothers  and  lovers  that  made  the 


140          FROM  BULL  RUN  TO  APPOMATTOX. 

Southern  soldiers  ready  to  play  or  ready  to  fight, 
regardless  of  what  they  had  in  their  haversacks  or 
wore  on  their  backs. 

There  was  no  fixed  time  for  our  furlough,  but  we 
had  places  of  rendezvous  where  we  were  ordered  to 
meet  once  a  week  to  receive  instructions.  Finally 
the  time  came  when  we  were  summoned  to  collect 
at  Upperville  (near  the  home  of  our  captain)  for 
the  march  back  to  the  army. 

I  do  not  remember  the  date,  but  it  was  early  in 
March.  I  do  remember  the  first  encampment 
we  made  for  the  night.  We  got  up  the  next  morn 
ing  with  six  inches  of  snow  covering  us,  resulting  in 
my  horse's  getting  a  bad  cold,  for  during  our  fur 
lough  he  had  been  housed  in  a  warm  stable.  This 
cold  never  left  him,  and  he  died  from  the  effects  of 
it  several  months  afterward. 

We  were  ordered  to  report  at  Staunton,  Va.  It 
was  a  long  march  from  Loudoun  county,  but  we 
were  used  to  long  marches.  When  we  arrived 
we  found  our  regiment  awaiting  us.  With 
out  even  a  day's  rest  we  were  ordered  to  Rich 
mond,  a  still  longer  march,  and  after  remaining 
there  two  weeks  we  were  ordered  to  Fredericks- 
burg.  A  line  of  this  route  drawn  on  the  map  would 


FROM  BULL  RUN  TO  APPOMATTOX.          141 

form  almost  a  perfect  letter  C,  and  if  it  had  not 
been  for  a  small  obstacle  in  our  way,  in  all  proba 
bility  we  would  have  continued  the  march,  forming 
the  letter  O. 

The  obstacle  in  our  way  was  Grant's  army  on  the 
Rappahannock. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

From  the  Wilderness  to  James  River. 

"Turning  his  bridle,  Robert  Lee 
Rode  to  the  rear.     Like  waves  of  the  sea, 
Bursting  the  dikes  in  their  overflow, 
Madly  his  veterans  dashed  on  the  foe." 

The  army  of  Northern  Virginia  had  met  and 
defeated  McDowell,  McClellan,  Pope,  Burnside 
and  Hooker,  and  caused  the  retirement  of  Meade, 
but  the  Government  at  Washington  had  at  last 
found  a  soldier  believed  to  be  a  full  match  for  Gen. 
Lee. 

Grant  had  been  successful  in  the  West,  and  his 
achievements  had  made  him  the  Nation's  idol,  so 
he  was  brought  to  the  East  and  placed  in  command 
of  the  army  of  the  Potomac. 

All  during  the  late  fall  and  winter  and  early 
spring  he  was  preparing  an  immense  army,  whose 
rendezvous  was  on  the  Rappahannock  and  in  the 
district  about  Culpeper  Courthouse.  It  was  a 
greater  and  better  equipped  army  than  that  under 
McClellan  in  1862.  Then  again,  McClellan 
was  an  untried  soldier,  while  Grant  had  won  his 

142 


FROM   BULL  RUN  TO  APPOMATTOX.  143 

spurs  on  more  than  one  battlefield.  So  the  North 
had  a  right  to  feel  that  Lee  would  be  beaten  and 
Richmond  captured.  Besides  this  great  army,  an 
other  30,000  strong  was  marching  up  the  James 
river,  taking  the  same  route  McClellan  took  two 
years  before. 

Gen.  Benj.  F.  Butler  was  its  commander.  The 
two  armies  were  to  unite  and  compel  the  surrender 
or  evacuation  of  the  Confederate  Capital. 

It  was  about  the  first  of  May  when  Grant  began 
his  movements  toward  Lee's  front.  At  this  time 
the  whole  cavalry  force  of  Gen.  Lee  was  encamped 
in  a  rich  grazing  district  about  five  miles  from 
Fredericksburg. 

We  had  been  there  several  weeks,  our  horses  had 
been  wading  in  grass  up  to  their  knees.  They  had 
shed  their  winter  coats,  and  were  looking  fine,  and 
seemed  to  be  ready  for  the  fray. 

Our  principal  article  of  food  was  fresh  fish, 
caught  from  the  Rappahannock  river. 

As  we  loitered  around  the  camp  from  day  to  day, 
speculating  as  to  when  we  should  be  called  to  the 
front,  and  discussing  what  would  be  the  result  of 
the  coming  battle,  we  began  to  get  restless,  as  sol 
diers  will.  They  live  on  excitement,  and  the  boom- 


144         FROM  BULL  RUN  TO  APPOMATTOX. 

ing  of  guns  and  the  rattling  of  musketry  is  the 
sweetest  music  they  can  hear. 

One  bright  May  morning  (it  must  have  been 
about  the  first  day  of  the  month)  we  saw  a  courier 
with  his  horse  all  flecked  with  foam  as  he  came 
dashing  into  our  camp.  He  halted  and  asked  for 
Gen.  Stuart's  headquarters.  It  proved  to  be  a  mes 
senger  from  Gen.  Lee,  and  it  meant  that  the  death- 
struggle  was  about  to  begin. 

Soon  the  bugles  were  sounding  all  through  the 
camps  the  old  familiar  call,  "Saddle  up,  saddle  up." 
We  mounted,  and  each  company  forming  in  line 
and  counting  off  by  fours,  wheeled  into  columns  of 
two  and  marched  off  toward  what  was  afterwards 
known  as  the  Battlefield  of  the  Wilderness. 

We  arrived  at  the  position  assigned  us  about 
dark,  where  we  went  into  camp  in  the  woods,  tying 
our  horses  to  the  trees  and  building  camp-fires  to 
cook  our  supper.  I  had  (like  the  boy  in  the  parable 
of  the  loaves  and  fishes)  in  my  haversack  a  few 
small  fresh  fish,  and  I  was  wondering  wrhether  they 
would  be  sweet  or  not.  I  remember  distinctly  lay 
ing  them  on  the  coals  of  fire  to  broil.  It  has  been 
43  years  since  then,  but  I  can  assure  you  I  can  al- 


1 


GEN.  FITZHUGH  LEE, 
Who  commanded  a  division  of  Gen.  J.  E.  B.  Stuart's  cavalry. 


FROM   BULL  RUN   TO  APPOMATTOX.  145 

most  taste  those  fish  today.  I  don't  think  I  ever  ate 
anything  so  sweet. 

The  next  day  we  were  in  the  saddle  early.  The 
cavalry  formed  the  right  wing  of  Lee's  army.  The 
battle  lasted  two  days.  The  cavalry  fought  almost 
entirely  on  foot.  It  was  mostly  in  heavy  timber  and 
thick  undergrowth. 

The  first  day  we  did  not  see  the  enemy,  but  we 
knew  he  was  there,  for  the  woods  were  ringing  with 
the  sound  of  their  guns,  and  bullets  were  hissing 
about  our  ears. 

When  we  struck  this  heavy  body  of  timber  we 
found  a  narrow  road  running  through  it.  We  fol 
lowed  this  road  cautiously  for  two  or  three  miles. 
My  company  was  in  front.  About  200  yards  in 
front  of  the  company  rode  two  soldiers,  side  by 
side.  We  knew  somewhere  in  front  of  us  was  the 
enemy,  and  it  was  our  mission  to  find  him.  Sud 
denly  we  heard  two  shots — pop,  pop.  We  all  knew 
what  that  meant.  The  armies  of  Lee  and  Grant  had 
met,  and  as  far  as  I  know,  these  were  the  first  two 
shots  fired  of  the  Battle  of  the  Wilderness.  They  had 
come  from  the  enemy's  guns.  They  had  seen  our 
advance  guard,  and  the  shots  meant,  "so  far  shalt 


146          FROM   BULL  RUN  TO  APPOMATTOX. 

thou  come,  and  no  farther."  We  took  the  hint  and 
halted. 

The  regiment  was  dismounted,  and  the  led  horses 
were  taken  back  some  distance;  we  deployed 
on  the  right  and  left  of  the  road  and  awaited  re 
sults;  then  moved  forward  until  we  discovered  the 
enemy's  line.  We  exchanged  some  shots,  and 
began  falling  slowly  back,  while  they  advanced. 

As  we  retired,  their  bullets  were  hissing  through 
our  ranks  and  cutting  the  bark  from  the  trees  and 
the  twigs  from  the  bushes,  and  now  and  then  strik 
ing  down  our  men. 

My  cousin,  Dallas  Leith,  and  myself  stood  to 
gether  behind  a  tree  for  protection.  As  he  fired, 
his  head  was  exposed,  and  a  bullet  from  the  enemy's 
ranks  just  brushed  his  lips.  He  turned  to  me 
and  said,  "Wasn't  that  a  close  shave?"  And  at  the 
same  time  a  bullet  grazed  my  finger  as  I  fired. 

We  fell  back  through  the  timber  to  the  edge  of 
the  open  fields,  and  getting  behind  a  rail  fence,  re 
mained  there  until  the  enemy  came  up.  We  held 
our  fire  until  they  got  close  to  us,  when  we  poured  a 
volley  into  their  ranks  that  sent  them  scurrying 
back  through  the  woods.  We  then  climbed  the 
fence  and  followed  them  up. 


FROM   BULL  RUN  TO  APPOMATTOX.  147 

About  20  steps  from  the  fence  we  saw  two  Yan 
kees  lying  mortally  wounded.  We  gathered  around 
them  and  asked  them  some  questions  about  where 
they  were  from,  and  one  of  our  men  pulled  a  pho 
tograph  from  the  pocket  of  one  of  them.  It  was  a 
picture  of  a  young  girl,  and  one  of  the  men  said,  "I 
guess  that's  his  sweetheart."  He  opened  his  eyes 
and  said  with  much  difficulty,  "No,  it  is  my  sister." 
Our  captain  was  standing  by,  and  as  the  men  were 
so  close  to  our  line,  someone  conceived  the  idea  that 
they  had  come  up  to  surrender,  and  one  of  them  said 
to  our  captain,  "Captain,  these  men  came  up  to 
surrender,  and  were  shot  down."  One  of  the  Yan 
kees  denied  the  accusation  with  some  feeling.  They 
were  both  shot  in  the  breast,  and  were  bleeding  pro 
fusely.  It  was  very  evident  that  they  had  but  a 
short  time  to  live. 

The  captain  ordered  them  to  be  taken  back  to  a 
place  of  safety.  They  begged  to  remain  where  they 
were,  saying  that  they  hadn't  long  to  live,  but  they 
were  taken  back  to  a  safer  place. 

We  were  again  ordered  forward,  and  kept  on 
until  we  came  in  touch  with  the  enemy,  when  the 
firing  was  resumed. 

Dallas  Leith  and  myself  were  again  behind  a 


148          FROM  BULL  RUN  TO  APPOMATTOX. 

tree.  He  was  kneeling  down  loading  his  gun,  when 
his  head  was  again  exposed,  and  a  ball  struck  him 
in  the  forehead.  It  tore  away  a  part  of  the  bone, 
exposing  his  brain.  I  felt  confident  the  boy  was 
killed,  and  had  no  other  thought  than  that  of  leav 
ing  him  there,  for  we  had  all  we  could  do  to  carry 
back  the  wounded,  much  less  the  dead. 

We  were  then  ordered  to  fall  back,  and  someone 
more  humane  than  I  proposed  that  we  carry  his 
body  back  with  us.  I  protested  that  it  was  impos 
sible,  but  the  others  insisted,  and,  tying  a  handker 
chief  around  his  head,  his  hair  drenched  with 
blood,  we  picked  him  up  and  carried  him 
back  about  a  mile,  when  to  our  surprise  we 
got  into  a  road  and  there  found  an  ambulance. 
Putting  him  in  it,  he  was  carried  to  the  hos 
pital,  in  the  rear.  Strange  to  say,  he  lived  about 
ten  days,  giving  his  father  time  to  come  from  Lou- 
doun  county  to  see  him  before  he  died.  About  this 
same  time  his  younger  brother  Henry  (at  home) 
was  blown  to  pieces  by  a  shell  that  he  had  picked 
up  in  the  field  on  his  father's  farm  and  was  trying  to 
open  it,  to  see  what  was  inside. 

But  to  return  to  the  battle.  This  state  of  things 
continued  for  two  whole  days,  with  little  intermis- 


FROM   BULL  RUN  TO  APPOMATTOX.  149 

sion.  Sometimes,  however,  there  was  not  a  shot 
fired  for  an  hour. 

During  one  of  these  intervals  I  remember  sitting 
down,  leaning  my  back  against  a  large  tree,  and  be 
gan  writing  a  letter  to  my  folks  at  home.  Capt. 
Gibson  came  up  to  me  and  said,  "Young  man,  if 
you  don't  want  to  get  shot,  you'd  better  get  on  the 
other  side  of  that  tree,  for  somewhere  just  in  front 
of  us,  and  not  a  great  distance  off,  is  the  enemy's 
skirmish  line,  and  they  may  open  fire  at  any  mo 
ment."  I  moved  behind  the  tree  and  resumed  my 
writing,  but  was  suddenly  stopped  by  the  sound  of 
firing  in  our  front,  that  caused  us  to  creep  farther 
back  into  the  woods. 

A  little  later  we  had  fallen  back  out  of  the 
timber  into  the  open  fields,  and  were  firing  from 
behind  a  fence  at  the  enemy  in  the  woods,  whom  we 
could  not  see  for  the  undergrowth.  Our  attention 
was  called  to  a  large  body  of  cavalry  on  our  left, 
apparently  the  enemy  on  mischief  bent. 

There  are  times  in  a  battle  when  every  private 
soldier  on  the  firing  line  becomes  a  "Commander- 
in-Chief."  It  is  when  orders  cannot  be  given,  or 
would  not  be  heard  if  they  were.  Each  soldier 


FROM   BULL  RUN   TO  APPOMATTOX. 

seems  to  know  intuitively  what  to  do,  and  the  whole 
line  acts  in  concert. 

At  this  particular  time  the  body  of  cavalry  on 
our  left  proved  to  be  the  bluecoats,  moving  toward 
our  rear.  It  did  not  take  long  for  the  information 
to  spread  up  and  down  the  line,  and  at  once  every 
man  in  the  ranks,  in  absence  of  any  orders  from 
headquarters,  concluded  that  the  thing  to  do  was  to 
fall  back.  So  each  soldier  gave  the  order  to  him 
self,  and  quicker  than  it  takes  time  to  tell  it,  the  line 
was  moving  back  over  the  fields. 

We  had  retreated  perhaps  200  yards  when  the 
movement  was  noticed  by  Gen.  Fitzhugh  Lee.  He 
came  galloping  toward  us  on  his  white  horse,  and 
with  a  voice  that  could  be  heard  above  the  shots  of 
the  guns,  he  said,  "What  does  this  mean?"  In  re 
ply,  hundreds  of  hands  pointed  toward  the  enemy 
on  our  left,  and  some  voices  said,  "They're  getting 
in  our  rear."  Gen.  Lee  said,  "Tut,  tut,  tut;  go 
back,  go  back."  And  without  a  wrord  every  man 
wheeled  around  and  started  back  for  the  position 
he  had  left.  Gen.  Lee  perhaps  knew  that  there 
were  forces  enough  there  to  take  care  of  the  enemy, 
who,  as  we  saw  it,  was  getting  behind  us. 

As  I  said  before,  this  kind  of  warfare  continued 


FROM   BULL  RUN  TO  APPOMATTOX.          15 1 

for  two  days,  and  all  the  time  it  was  going  on  we 
could  hear  the  booming  of  the  artillery  on  our  left, 
telling  us  that  Grant  was  doing  all  he  could  to  beat 
back  or  break  through  Lee's  lines,  and  we  knew, 
too,  that  he  was  not  accomplishing  his  purpose.  We 
could  always  tell  which  way  the  battle  was  going 
by  the  direction  from  which  the  sound  came. 

The  night  of  the  second  day  Grant  silently  and 
rapidly  withdrew  the  main  portion  of  his  army 
from  Lee's  front  and  marched  toward  Spottsyl- 
vania  Courthouse,  which  was  some  distance  to  the 
right  of  where  the  cavalry  was  fighting. 

His  object  was  to  surprise  Gen.  Lee,  and  get  be 
tween  him  and  Richmond.  But  Gen.  Lee  had  an 
ticipated  that  very  movement,  and  when  Grant's 
infantry  moved  forward  at  Spottsylvania  Court 
house,  he  found  Lee's  army  there  confronting  him. 
Then  began  the  bloodiest  battle  of  all  the  war,  so 
it  is  said. 

It  was  during  the  Battle  of  the  Wilderness  that 
Gen.  Grant  sent  that  famous  dispatch  to  Washing 
ton,  "I  will  fight  it  out  on  this  line  if  it  takes  all 
summer."  If  he  meant  the  line  between  his  army 
and  Lee's,  he  changed  his  mind  within  24  hours. 
But  if  he  meant  a  line  stretching  from  Wilderness 


FROM  BULL  RUN  TO  APPOMATTOX. 

to  Petersburg,  he  kept  his  word.  It  took  him  all 
summer  to  get  his  army  south  of  the  James  river, 
and  cost  him  the  loss  (it  is  said)  of  100,000  soldiers. 

He  could  have  placed  his  army  there  without 
firing  a  shot  by  following  the  route  taken  by  Mc- 
Clellan,  but  Grant  well  knew  he  must  first  cripple 
Lee's  army  before  he  could  capture  Richmond,  and 
that  he  could  afford  to  lose  five  men  to  Lee's  one 
in  doing  it,  and  I  presume  he  thought  the  district 
called  the  "Wilderness"  a  good  place  to  begin  the 
work. 

While  Grant's  army  was  moving  under  the  cover 
of  night  and  the  dense  forests  toward  Spottsylvania 
Courthouse,  our  cavalry  also  moved  in  the  same 
direction.  And  when  Grant  ordered  his  lines  for 
ward  the  next  morning,  the  first  to  receive  them  was 
our  cavalry. 

The  enemy's  cavalry  still  confronted  us  when  we 
began  fighting.  It  seemed  to  be  the  same  old  tac 
tics  that  had  been  played  for  the  last  two  days,  ex 
cept  that  it  was  a  little  fiercer. 

Among  the  killed  that  day  was  a  handsome  young 
colonel  of  one  of  the  regiments  of  our  brigade.  His 
name  was  Collins.  I  think  he  was  a  Georgian. 

He  was  always  dressed  as  if  he  were  going  to  a 


FROM   BULL   RUN  TO  APPOMATTOX.  153 

reception.  His  complexion  was  as  fair  as  a 
woman's.  His  hair  was  light.  He  habitually  wore 
a  clean  white  collar  and  a  bright  new  uniform 
(something  unusual  among  soldiers  in  the  midst 
of  an  active  campaign),  but  "death  loves  a  shining 
mark,"  and  he  was  taken  off. 

About  10  o'clock  in  the  morning  our  cavalry  was 
withdrawn  from  the  front,  and  going  back  to  our 
led  horses  we  mounted  and  slowly  rode  back  to 
ward  Spottsylvania  Courthouse. 

The  country  here  was  different  from  where  we 
had  been  fighting  the  two  days  previous.  Much  of 
it  was  open  fields,  and  the  timbered  part  of  it  was 
not  encumbered  with  undergrowth. 

As  we  slowly  fell  back  we  looked  behind  us  and 
saw  a  gorgeous  sight.  It  was  Grant's  line  of  battle 
moving  forward  as  if  on  "Dress  Parade,"  their 
brass  buttons  and  steel  guns  with  fixed  bayonets 
glistening  in  the  sun,  with  their  banners  floating  in 
the  breeze.  The  first  thought  among  the  private 
soldiers  was,  "Has  Grant  stolen  a  march  on  Lee, 
and  is  Richmond  doomed?"  It  certainly  looked 
so  at  this  moment,  but  we  kept  on  falling  back. 

As  we  entered  the  woods  we  suddenly  came  upon 
Lee's  infantry  lying  down  in  line  of  battle  waiting 


154         FROM  BULL  RUN  TO  APPOMATTOX. 

the  enemy's  advance.  As  we  approached  them, 
word  was  passed  up  and  down  the  line  not  to  cheer 
the  infantry.  This  was  the  custom  in  the  face  of  a 
battle  when  the  cavalry,  retiring  from  the  front, 
gave  way  to  the  infantry. 

They  opened  their  ranks  and  let  us  pass  through, 
and  we  formed  in  line  some  distance  behind  them. 
The  infantry  was  entirely  concealed  from  the 
enemy's  view,  and  up  to  this  time  I  am  quite  sure 
that  Grant  did  not  know  that  he  was  facing  Lee's 
army  at  Spottsylvania  Courthouse.  But  he  was 
soon  to  be  undeceived  in  a  manner  most  tragic. 

Lee's  infantry  waited  until  the  enemy  was  within 
100  yards,  and  then,  rising  to  their  feet,  poured  a 
volley  into  their  ranks  that  brought  many  of  them 
to  the  ground,  and  sent  the  others  back  from  whence 
they  came.  This  was  only  the  beginning  of  the 
battle. 

Leaving  the  infantry  to  take  care  of  that  part  of 
the  field,  the  cavalry  was  moved  a  mile  to  the  right 
and  again  dismounted,  and  moved  forward  until 
we  came  under  fire  of  the  enemy's  guns.  We  laid 
down  behind  a  rail  fence  and  fired  between  the 
rails.  A  bullet  struck  a  rail  just  in  front  of  my  head 
and  knocked  the  dust  and  splinters  in  my  face,  al- 


FROM   BULL  RUN  TO  APPOMATTOX.  155 

most  blinding  me  for  a  little  while.  We  did  not 
remain  there  very  long,  but  were  soon  ordered 
back,  and  as  we  moved  across  the  open  fields  in  full 
view  of  the  enemy,  they  kept  up  an  incessant  fire, 
many  of  the  shots  taking  effect. 

We  could  see  the  Union  officers  on  the  little  hills 
in  every  direction,  with  their  field  glasses  to  their 
eyes,  trying  to  discover  what  was  in  front  of  them. 

The  cavalry  retired  from  the  field,  leaving  the 
infantry  to  do  the  rest.  How  well  it  was  done  the 
historian  has  tragically  told  the  story.  It  was  on 
this  field  that  "Hancock,  the  superb,"  made  eight 
distinct  attacks  on  Lee's  center,  and  finally  break 
ing  his  line  of  battle,  rushed  his  troops  by  thousands 
into  the  breach,  and  for  the  moment  it  looked  as 
if  the  Confederacy  was  doomed. 

Gen.  Lee,  seeing  the  peril  in  which  his  army  was 
placed,  ordered  forward  Gordon's  division  (which 
he  was  holding  in  reserve),  placed  himself  at  the 
head  of  it,  and  was  about  to  lead  them  into  battle 
in  order  to  restore  his  broken  lines.  Shells  were 
falling  about  Gen.  Lee  and  his  life  was  in  peril. 
One  of  the  officers  rode  up  to  him  and  said,  "Gen. 
Lee,  this  is  no  place  for  you;  you  must  go  to  the 
rear."  His  troops  refused  to  go  forward  until  Gen. 


156          FROM  BULL  RUN  TO  APPOMATTOX. 

Lee  had  retired  from  the  front.  One  of  the  soldiers 
came  forward,  and  taking  the  reins  of  Lee's  horse, 
led  him  back.  Then  Gen.  Gordon  led  his  division 
forward,  the  enemy  was  driven  back,  the  line  was 
restored,  and  Gen.  Lee's  army  was  saved  from  de 
struction  and  another  year  added  to  the  life  of  the 
Confederacy. 

I  heard  Gen.  Gordon  in  a  lecture  delivered  at 
"Music  Hall,"  Baltimore,  some  years  ago,  describ 
ing  this  event,  say  (as  he  stretched  out  his  hands 
horizontally),  "My  dead  were  piled  that  high,  and 
three  days  after  the  battle  I  saw  wounded  men  try 
ing  to  pull  themselves  from  under  the  mass  of  the 
dead  above  them.  And  at  one  point  the  slopes  were 
so  slippery  with  blood  that  my  soldiers  could  not 
stand  until  the  ground  had  been  carpeted  with  the 
bodies  of  their  fallen  comrades." 

A  tree  about  six  inches  in  diameter  standing  in 
a  field  was  literally  cut  down  by  bullets,  not  a  shot 
from  a  cannon  having  been  fired  on  that  part  of  the 
field. 

The  Standard  Encyclopedia  puts  the  strength  of 
Grant's  army  at  150,000,  but  does  not  state  how 
many  men  Lee  had.  Perhaps  75,000  would  be  a 
fair  estimate.  The  same  authority  gives  Grant's 


FROM   BULL  RUN  TO  APPOMATTOX.          157 

losses  at  the  battle  of  the  Wilderness  as  18,000; 
Lee's  at  11,000.* 

The  losses  in  the  battle  of  Spottsylvania  Court 
house,  fought  two  days  afterward,  were  as  great, 
if  not  greater,  than  those  of  the  Wilderness. 

When  the  cavalry  retired  from  the  front  the  men 
mounted  their  horses,  and  almost  Lee's  entire  cav 
alry  force,  headed  by  their  chief,  Gen.  J.  E.  B. 
Stuart,  started  in  a  bee  line  for  Richmond,  without 
halting  a  moment. 

Gen.  Sheridan,  commanding  Grant's  cavalry, 
had  passed  around  our  right  wing  with  his  whole 
command,  and  was  heading  toward  the  Confed 
erate  Capital. 

I  think  it  was  about  4  o'clock  in  the  afternoon 
when  we  started.  Sheridan  was  several  miles  ahead 
of  us.  We  marched  all  night.  We  overtook  Sheri 
dan  at  Hanover  Junction,  on  the  railroad  leading 
to  Richmond;  not,  however,  until  he  had  destroyed 
a  large  quantity  of  provisions  stored  there  for  Lee's 
army,  a  great  loss  to  the  Confederates  at  that  time. 

*General  Longstreet  gives  63,998  as  the  total  strength  of  Lee's 
army  in  this  campaign.  Longstreet  was  severely  wounded  at  the 
Battle  of  the  Wilderness  by  a  bullet  shot  through  the  neck.  Was 
carried  from  the  field  on  a  litter,  and  was  unable  to  return  to  the 
army  for  several  months.  Lee  had  lost  the  services  of  Jos.  E.  John 
ston,  Jackson,  Longstreet,  and  a  few  days  later  J.  E.  B.  Stuart.  These 
were  his  ablest  lieutenants. 


158          FROM   BULL  RUN   TO  APPOMATTOX. 

Sheridan  had  prepared  for  this  expedition,  and 
all  of  his  men  had  well-filled  haversacks,  while 
ours  were  empty. 

I  cannot  remember  just  when  and  where  we  got 
in  front  of  Sheridan,  but  I  know  from  Hanover 
Junction  on  we  were  in  constant  touch  with  his 
forces,  and  harassed  them  all  we  could. 

At  a  place  called  "Yellow  Tavern"  several  regi 
ments  of  our  cavalry  (mine  among  them)  were  dis 
mounted,  formed  across  the  fields,  and  moved  for 
ward  in  real  line  of  battle  style  until  we  came  upon 
the  enemy,  also  dismounted.  After  a  brisk  en 
counter  we  fell  back  to  a  road  that  was  somewhat 
sunken. 

There  we  halted  for  the  purpose  of  stopping  the 
enemy's  advance,  for  the  sunken  road  furnished 
us  some  protection,  but  they  did  not  stop.  They 
marched  on,  firing  as  they  came. 

Their  line  was  longer  and  thicker  than  ours,  and 
it  was  evident  that  we  were  about  to  be  surrounded. 
Some  of  our  men  mounted  the  fence  in  the  rear  and 
fled  across  the  fields.  Others  stood  their  ground 
and  were  captured,  I  among  them. 

I  was  near  Colonel  Pate,  the  colonel  command 
ing  a  regiment  in  my  brigade.  He  was  killed  by  a 


FROM   BULL   RUN  TO  APPOMATTOX.  159 

bullet  striking  him  in  the  center  of  the  forehead. 
Also  near  me  was  our  captain,  Bruce  Gibson. 

There  was  a  little  culvert  across  a  ditch  in  the 
road  that  the  farmers  used  in  going  from  the  road 
into  the  field.  Some  of  our  men  crept  under  this 
culvert  and  escaped.  Probably  200  of  us  wem 
captured. 

But  the  army  sustained  a  greater  loss  than  that, 
a  loss  second  only  to  that  of  Stonewall  Jackson. 

Just  behind  our  line  in  the  field  was  Gen.  Stuart 
with  his  staff.  A  bullet  struck  him  somewhere 
about  the  stomach.  He  was  held  on  his  horse  until 
it  was  led  to  a  place  of  safety.  Then  he  was  taken 
from  his  horse,  put  into  an  ambulance  and  carried 
to  Richmond.  He  died  the  next  day. 

Stuart  was  considered  the  greatest  cavalry  leader 
of  the  war  on  either  side,  and  his  death  brought  a 
very  great  loss  to  Gen.  Lee,  and  also  to  the  whole 
Confederacy. 

The  Confederacy  had  from  the  beginning  at 
tached  greater  importance  to  the  cavalry  arm  of 
the  service  than  had  the  North,  and  many  had  been 
the  daring  raids  that  Stuart  made  within  the 
enemy's  lines,  capturing  thousands  of  wagons  laden 
with  military  stores,  and  many  thousand  prisoners. 


l6o          FROM   BULL  RUN   TO  APPOMATTOX. 

In  fact,  almost  our  entire  cavalry  was  equipped 
with  saddles,  bridles  and  arms  captured  from  the 
enemy;  nearly  all  the  wagons  in  Lee's  army  were 
captured  wagons.  But  perhaps  Providence  knew 
that  the  time  was  near  at  hand  when  we  would  not 
need  these  things,  so  He  permitted  the  one  who  had 
been  the  means  of  supplying  our  wants  in  this  par 
ticular  to  retire  from  the  field.  He  was  buried  in 
Hollywood  Cemetery,  Richmond,  Va.,  and  a  mag 
nificent  equestrian  statue  marks  the  spot. 

Many  of  Stuart's  raids  were  made  under  the 
cover  of  darkness.  He  always  wore  a  long  ostrich 
feather  in  his  hat,  and  was  a  splendid  rider.  The 
soldiers  had  a  war  song,  the  chorus  of  which  was 
something  like  this:  "We'll  follow  the  feather  of 
Stuart  tonight." 

The  prisoners  were  taken  back  and  put  under 
guard.  I  think  this  was  about  4  o'clock  in  the  after 
noon.  We  remained  there  quietly  until  after  dark, 
all  the  time,  however,  the  fighting  was  going  on, 
but  we  were  out  of  reach  of  danger  in  that  respect, 
so  we  had  a  brief  breathing  spell. 

After  dark  Sheridan's  whole  command  began  to 
move  slowly  toward  Richmond,  making  frequent 
stops  of  a  few  minutes.  The  prisoners  marched 


A  BATTLE  SCARRED  CONFEDERATE  BANNER. 


FROM   BULL  RUN   TO  APPOMATTOX.  l6l 

two  abreast,  with  a  line  of  cavalry  guard  on  each 
side.  We  had,  of  course,  to  keep  up  with  the 
cavalry. 

Our  guard  was  very  kind  to  us,  and  allowed  us 
to  take  hold  of  their  stirrup  straps,  which  was  quite 
a  help  to  us  as  we  marched  along,  especially  in 
crossing  streams,  one  of  which  I  remember  was  up 
to  our  waists.  It  began  raining  at  midnight,  and 
continued  most  of  the  next  day.  The  night  was 
very  dark,  and  from  the  distance  we  had  covered 
from  the  time  we  started,  it  seemed  to  us  that  we 
must  be  very  near  the  city.  Finally  we  turned  to 
the  left  and  moved  toward  the  James  river,  in  a 
southeasterly  direction  from  Richmond. 

As  we  had  no  sleep  the  night  before,  but  rode 
all  night,  and  now  were  walking  all  night  in  the 
rain  and  mud,  and  without  food,  you  may  know 
we  were  in  a  wretched  condition.  Every  now  and 
then  a  friendly  Yank  would  hand  us  a  cracker  from 
his  haversack,  saying,  "Here,  Johnnie."  But  they 
were  on  short  rations  themselves,  and  could  not 
help  us  much  in  that  respect. 

The  next  day  we  were  in  constant  peril  from  the 
shells  thrown  from  the  Confederate  batteries,  that 
seemed  to  come  in  every  direction.  In  fact,  Sheri- 


162          FROM  BULL  RUN  TO  APPOMATTOX. 

dan  was  completely  surrounded,  except  on  one 
side,  and  his  progress  was  stopped  there  by  the 
Chickahominy  river. 

This  is  a  slow,  marshy  river,  crossed  by  two 
or  three  bridges.  The  chief  one  had  been  destroyed 
by  the  Confederates.  Sheridan  was  in  close  quar 
ters,  and  we  prisoners  had  made  up  our  minds  that 
he  would  have  to  surrender  his  army. 

We  got  so  bold  and  impudent  that  we  hailed 
Yankee  officers  as  they  passed  us,  and  said,  "Hey 
there,  Mr.  Yank,  I  speak  for  that  horse." 

Among  these  officers  so  hailed  was  a  red-headed 
major,  who  was  in  command  of  our  guard.  Prior  to 
this  he  had  been  very  surly  and  exceedingly  gruff 
and  harsh.  So  disagreeable  was  he  that  the  prison 
ers  had  whispered  among  themselves  that  if  we  did 
get  him  in  our  hands  we'd  make  him  sweat,  and 
when  it  became  evident  not  only  to  us,  but  to  the 
enemy,  that  they  were  in  danger  of  capture,  this 
particular  officer  changed  his  attitude  toward  us 
very  perceptibly.  He  took  our  jeers  and  taunts 
without  a  word,  and,  luckily  for  us,  about  this  time 
he  was  relieved  of  his  position,  and  another  put  in 
his  place.  Perhaps  he  had  asked  for  it,  knowing 


FROM   BULL   RUN  TO  APPOMATTOX.  163 

that  he  wouldn't  receive  very  kind  treatment  if  he 
fell  into  our  hands. 

But,  oh,  the  irony  of  Fate.  On  a  hill  fronting 
the  river  (not  far  from  the  bridge)  was  an  old  Vir 
ginia  mansion.  The  prisoners  were  led  to  this 
house  and  ordered  to  tear  it  down  and  carry  the 
timbers  to  the  river  and  rebuild  the  bridge.  What 
do  you  think  of  that?  Of  course,  we  had  to  obey, 
but  we  made  loud  complaints,  and  while  \ve  were 
carrying  this  timber  and  rebuilding  the  bridge, 
our  enemy  was  protecting  us,  from  their  stand 
point  (as  far  as  they  could),  by  keeping  back  the 
Confederates,  who  were  pouring  shot  and  shell 
into  their  ranks  from  every  direction.  The  bridge 
was  repaired,  Sheridan's  command  was  soon  safe  on 
the  other  side,  and  our  hopes  died  away. 

There  are  two  little  incidents  connected  with  my 
capture  that  I  ought  not  to  leave  out,  so  I  will  go 
back  to  that  event.  The  first  one  may  serve  a  good 
purpose  if  the  reader  is  ever  placed  in  similar  cir 
cumstances. 

When  I  realized  that  we  were  in  the  hands  of  the 
enemy,  but  before  they  had  gotten  to  where  I  was, 
I  lay  down  on  my  face  in  the  ditch  alongside  of 
the  wounded  and  dead,  pretending  myself  to  be 


164         FROM  BULL  RUN  TO  APPOMATTOX. 

dead.  I  had  the  most  awful  feeling  while  lying 
there  imaginable,  and  felt  that  at  any  moment  I 
might  be  thrust  through  with  a  bayonet,  and  the 
feeling  was  so  intense  that  as  soon  as  I  heard  the 
Yankees  tramping  about  me  and  calling  upon  the 
men  to  surrender,  I  got.  up  and  surrendered.  If 
I  had  only  had  presence  of  mind  enough  to  have 
lain  on  my  back  and  watched  them  from  the  cor 
ner  of  my  eye,  I  might  have  passed  through  the  or 
deal  and  escaped  after  they  left,  as  they  did  not 
remain  long. 

In  the  first  place,  the  men  were  cavalrymen,  and 
hence  had  no  bayonets.  Then  again,  the  Confed 
erate  bullets  were  hissing  about  their  ears  in  such 
a  manner  that  they  never  would  have  thought  of 
testing  a  "Johnnie  Reb"  in  that  way  in  order  to  see 
whether  he  was  really  dead  or  playing  possum. 

The  other  incident  was  the  second  night  after  our 
capture.  It  was  still  raining,  and  the  weather  was 
quite  cool  for  the  season  (it  was  about  the  loth  of 
May).  We  were  all  wet  to  the  skin,  and  nearly 
starved.  We  were  stopped  in  a  field,  a  guard 
placed  around  us,  an  old  cow  driven  up  and  shot, 
and  we  were  told  to  help  ourselves.  So  every  fel 
low  that  could  get  a  knife  went  up  and  cut  his  own 


FROM   BULL  RUN  TO  APPOMATTOX.  165 

steak.  They  gave  us  some  fence  rails,  out  of  which 
we  made  little  fires  and  broiled  our  cow  meat.  She 
may  have  been  tough  and  old,  and  I  know  we  had 
no  salt,  but  the  meat  was  as  sweet  to  us  as  any  porter 
house  steak  we  had  ever  eaten. 

We  huddled  together  for  the  night  like  pigs,  and 
slept  comfortably,  notwithstanding  we  had  tramped 
the  earth  into  a  mud  hole. 

But  to  go  back  to  the  crossing  of  the  Chickahom- 
iny  river.  Once  over  that  river,  the  enemy  seemed 
to  have  very  little  opposition  to  their  march  toward 
the  James. 

1  know  it  was  a  long,  weary  march,  and  their 
horses  were  giving  out  all  along  the  way.  When  a 
horse  got  too  sore-footed  to  travel,  he  was  shot, 
and  as  we  passed  along  we  saw  hundreds  of  these 
horses,  with  the  warm  life-blood  flowing  from  a 
hole  in  their  foreheads,  lying  by  the  side  of  the 
road.  This  was  done  to  prevent  the  horses  from 
falling  into  the  hands  of  the  Confederates. 

When  we  got  in  sight  of  the  James  river,  the 
prisoners  were  halted  in  an  orchard,  and  rested  there 
for  an  hour  or  so.  Just  over  the  fence  were  some 
little  pigs,  with  their  tails  curled  around  like  a 
curl  on  a  girl's  head,  rooting  around  for  some- 


1 66          FROM   BULL  RUN   TO  APPOMATTOX. 

thing  nice  to  eat.  One  of  the  prisoners  called  to  a 
Yankee  to  catch  a  pig  and  throw  it  over  the  fence. 
He  at  once  made  a  dive  for  the  pigs  and  got  one,  and 
threw  it  to  us.  A  great  crowd  rushed  for  the  pig, 
every  fellow  with  a  knife  in  his  hand,  and  as  many 
as  could  get  hold  of  the  little  fellow  began  cutting 
into  his  anatomy.  I  had  hold  of  one  of  the  hind 
legs,  and  while  we  cut,  the  pig  squeeled.  I  got  a 
whole  ham  for  my  share.  Of  course,  I  divided  it 
with  my  comrades. 

We  gathered  sticks  and  built  little  fires,  and  had 
a  grand  feast  of  roast  pig.  My,  it  was  sweet! 
There  was  neither  ceremony,  pepper  nor  salt. 

Soon  after  this  banquet  we  were  marched  to  the 
James  river,  put  on  a  steamer,  and  our  empty  stom 
achs  filled  to  the  brim  with  a  good  dinner.  The 
first  course  was  good  beef  soup,  thickened  with 
vegetables.  We  certainly  enjoyed  it.  Then  came 
roast  beef  and  real  baker's  bread  (something  we 
hadn't  had  for  an  age). 

But  to  go  back  to  Spottsylvania  Courthouse. 
Grant's  efforts  to  get  to  Richmond  by  breaking 
through  Lee's  lines  were  as  ineffectual  there  as  they 
had  been  in  the  Wilderness  two  days  before.  So  he 


FROM   BULL  RUN  TO  APPOMATTOX          167 

packed  his  grip  (so  to  speak)  and  made  another 
move  toward  the  James  river. 

These  two  battles,  of  course,  had  reduced  his 
righting  forces  materially,  but  the  Government  at 
Washington  kept  filling  up  his  ranks  and  supplying 
him  with  every  need.  In  fact,  in  one  case  particu 
larly,  they  sent  him  more  war  material  than  he 
could  use,  and  rather  than  encumber  his  march,  he 
sent  100  cannon  back  to  Washington,  while  the 
poor  Confeds  had  no  such  source  of  supply,  and 
had  to  be  content  with  making  the  best  of  the  ma 
terial  they  had. 

Gen.  Lee  moved  his  army  in  a  parallel  line  with 
Grant's,  and  kept  in  his  front,  ready  to  dispute  his 
passage  if  he  attempted  to  move  forward. 


CHAPTER   IX. 

From  James  River  to  Petersburg. 

"Down  on  the  left  of  the  Rebel  lines, 

Where  a  breastwork  stands  on  a  copse  of  pines, 

Before  the  Rebels  their  ranks  can  form, 

The  Yankees  have  carried  the  place  by  storm." 

I  think  it  was  about  the  i2th  of  May  when 
Grant  began  his  march  from  Spottsylvania,  and  it 
was,  I  think,  the  3rd  of  June  when  he  made  an 
other  attempt  at  Cold  Harbor  to  enter  Richmond 
by  breaking  through  Lee's  army,  and  another  des 
perate  battle  was  fought,  but  the  losses  were  not 
so  great  as  they  were  at  the  Wilderness  or  Spottsyl 
vania.  Grant,  however,  was  again  defeated,  and 
continued  his  march  toward  the  James  river.  In 
this  battle  the  colonel  of  my  regiment  (Flournoy) 
was  killed.  He  was  a  dashing  young  colonel,  but 
not  as  prudent  as  an  officer  should  be.  At  the  time 
he  was  killed  he  was  standing  on  the  top  of  the 
breastworks,  behind  which  men  were  fighting, 
shouting  defiance  at  the  enemy,  and  challenging 
them  to  come  out  in  the  open  and  fight  it  out.  Of 
course,  it  did  not  take  them  long  to  put  a  bullet 


168 


FROM   BULL  RUN  TO  APPOMATTOX.  169 

through  his  body.  At  one  time  he  was  major 
of  the  regiment,  then  lieutenant-colonel,  and  on 
the  retirement  of  his  father,  he  was  made  colonel. 
His  father  was  once  Governor  of  the  State.  Rich 
ards,  Captain  of  Company  D,  was  made  colonel  of 
our  regiment,  and  held  this  position  during  the  rest 
of  the  war.  He  had  commanded  a  company  of  cav 
alry  from  Clark  county,  Virginia. 

Grant  differed  from  other  commanders  who 
fought  the  army  of  Northern  Virginia  in  this  re 
spect — he  refused  to  acknowledge  defeat.  If  his 
attacks  failed  at  one  point  after  repeated  attempts, 
he  would  move  his  army  to  the  left  and  attack  again. 
This  he  kept  up  to  the  end  of  the  war. 

Not  being  able  to  reach  Richmond  by  attacking 
Lee  on  the  north  side  of  the  river,  he  crossed  his 
main  army  to  the  south  side,  and  stretching  out  his 
line  of  battle  from  the  James  to  Petersburg,  began 
a  long  siege  that  lasted  through  the  fall  and  winter 
till  late  in  the  spring. 

Now  to  go  back  to  prison. 

The  steamer  on  which  we  were  placed  and  given 
such  a  good,  substantial  dinner,  soon  after  this  took 
its  departure  down  the  James  and  landed  us  at 
Fortress  Monroe,  where  we  were  put  in  an  in- 


170          FROM  BULL  RUN  TO  APPOMATTOX. 

closure  with  a  number  of  other  prisoners,  and 
among  them  the  officers  and  crew  of  the  British 
steamer  "Grayhound,"  that  had  been  captured 
while  trying  to  run  a  blockade  into  one  of  the 
Southern  ports. 

They  all  seemed  to  be  Southern  sympathizers, 
and  whenever  they  had  an  opportunity  showed  the 
Confederate  prisoners  much  kindness,  even  going 
so  far  as  to  distribute  gold  among  them,  of  which 
they  seemed  to  have  an  abundant  supply.  This  was, 
of  course,  done  on  the  sly,  and  the  Confederates 
were  careful  to  conceal  these  gifts.  Those  who 
were  well  enough  off  to  wear  stockings,  slipped  the 
gold  in  their  stocking-leg.  Some  put  it  in  their 
mouths.  These  precautions  were  necessary,  as  the 
prisoners  were  frequently  searched. 

These  Englishmen  were  loud  in  their  protests, 
and  were  making  all  kinds  of  threats  as  to  what 
their  Government  would  do  if  it  learned  of  their 
treatment. 

After  remaining  there  a  few  days  the  Confed 
erates  were  again  marched  aboard  a  steamer  and 
taken  to  "Point  Lookout,"  where  a  regular  prison- 
camp  had  been  established.  I  think  there  were 
about  15,000  prisoners  at  this  camp  guarded  by 


FROM   BULL  RUN  TO  APPOMATTOX.  IJl 

negro  troops,  which  made  our  Southern  blood  boil. 
As  the  darkies  used  to  say,  "The  bottom  rail  had 
got  on  top." 

The  camp  was  on  a  point  of  land  formed  by  the 
junction  of  the  Potomac  river  and  Chesapeake  Bay 
on  the  north  side  of  the  river.  I  imagine  there  were 
about  20  acres  of  ground,  surrounded  by  a  high 
board  fence,  probably  about  14  feet  high.  Just  be 
low  the  top  was  built  a  platform  about  three  feet 
wide,  and  on  this  platform  the  guards  walked  to 
and  fro  with  their  guns  on  their  shoulders.  From 
their  position  they  could  overlook  the  whole  camp, 
as  the  ground  was  perfectly  level.  There  was 
also  a  strong  guard  inside  the  camp,  while  artillery 
and  regiments  of  infantry  were  stationed  near  the 
camp  to  guard  it  from  outside  attack,  and  one  or 
more  gunboats  patrolled  the  waters  that  nearly 
surrounded  the  camp. 

Notwithstanding  this  precaution,  occasionally 
prisoners  made  their  escape.  One  ingenious 
method  that  baffled  our  guards  for  a  long  time  was 
the  following: 

The  prisoners  were  allowed  to  go  outside  of  the 
enclosure  on  the  beach  to  bathe.  And  if  an  empty 
barrel  or  box  happened  to  be  floating  on  the  water, 


172          FROM  BULL  RUN  TO  APPOMATTOX. 

^i^l8»»^^^*^^  -  >• 

a  prisoner  in  bathing  would  watch  his  opportunity, 

slip  his  head  under  the  barrel  or  box,  and  then  as 
the  tide  drifted  up  the  river,  would  follow  it,  keep 
ing  as  near  the  shore  as  necessary  until  he  got  be 
yond  the  reach  of  the  guard,  and  then  take  to  the 
woods. 

The  punishment  for  trying  to  escape  was  cruel. 
Those  who  were  caught  at  it  were  strung  up  to  a 
pole  by  the  thumbs,  with  the  tips  of  their  toes  just 
touching  the  ground.  Sometimes  the  men  would 
faint,  and  had  to  be  cut  down. 

Upon  the  whole,  prison  life  was  very  monoton 
ous.  It  was  such  an  unhealthy  camp  that  the  pris 
oners  considered  that  they  had  a  better  chance  for 
their  lives  fighting  in  the  army. 

The  water  was  brackish  and  unpleasant  to  the 
taste.  The  only  water  we  had  was  from  pumps 
scattered  about  over  the  camps,  and  during  the  four 
months  that  I  was  there  the  pumps  were  always 
surrounded  by  a  thirsty  crowd  of  from  40  to  50 
prisoners,  each  with  his  tincup,  trying  to  wedge 
his  way  in,  that  he  might  quench  his  thirst. 

The  food,  while  good,  was  very  scant.  Break 
fast  consisted  of  coffee  and  a  loaf  of  bread,  the  latter 
under  ordinary  circumstances,  with  vegetables  and 


FROM   BULL  RUN  TO  APPOMATTOX.  173 

other  food,  would  probably  suffice  for  two  meals. 
This  loaf  was  given  us  at  breakfast,  and  if  we  ate 
it  all  then  we  went  without  bread  for  dinner.  If 
there  was  any  left  over  we  took  it  to  our  tents,  laid 
it  on  the  ground,  and  saved  it  for  the  next  meal. 

The  dinners  consisted  of  a  tincup  of  soup  (gen 
erally  bean  or  other  vegetable),  a  small  piece  of 
meat  on  a  tinplate,  on  which  a  little  vinegar  was 
poured  to  prevent  scurvy.  My  recollection  is  we 
had  no  other  meal,  but  my  mind  is  not  perfectly 
clear  on  this  point.  I  do  know,  however,  that  we 
were  always  hungry,  and  the  chief  topic  of  con 
versation  was  the  sumptuous  meals  we  had  sat  down 
to  in  other  days. 

As  I  recalled  the  tables  of  former  years  laden 
with  bacon,  cabbage,  potatoes  and  hominy,  I  re 
member  how  I  reproached  myself  for  not  having 
eaten  more  when  I  had  the  opportunity.  Delica 
cies  never  entered  into  the  discussion ;  it  was  always 
the  plain,  simple  foods  that  we  talked  about  and 
longed  for. 

We  were  told  that  the  short  rations  were  given 
us  in  retaliation  for  the  scanty  food  supplied  to 
their  soldiers  in  Southern  prisons. 

The  hospitals  were  crowded  all  the  time,  and 


174          FROM   BULL  RUN  T0  APPOMATTOX. 

there  were  many  sick  in  the  camp  waiting  their 
opportunity  to  go  into  hospitals. 

We  lived  in  what  is  known  as  Sibley  tents,  shaped 
like  a  bell,  with  an  opening  in  the  top  about  15 
inches  in  diameter. 

There  were  12  men  to  a  tent,  who,  when  they 
slept,  arranged  themselves  in  a  circle,  like  the 
spokes  of  a  wagon,  with  their  feet  toward  the  cen 
ter.  These  tents  were  as  close  as  they  could  stand 
on  the  ground,  with  \vide  avenues  between  every 
two  rows  of  tents,  thus  allowing  every  tent  to  front 
on  an  avenue. 

Every  day  the  prisoners  were  called  out  of  their 
tents  and  formed  in  line;  roll  was  called  and  the 
prisoners  searched.  And  while  they  were  being 
searched,  the  guards  were  searching  the  tents.  For 
just  what  purpose  this  search  was  done  I  do  not 
know,  unless  it  was  for  fear  that  arms  might  be 
smuggled  in  to  be  used  by  the  prisoners  for  making 
their  escape. 

Many  of  the  prisoners  had  a  peculiar  affection 
of  the  eyes,  caused,  perhaps,  by  the  glare  from  the 
white  tents,  the  sand,  and  the  reflection  from  the 
water.  There  was  nothing  green  to  be  seen  any 
where,  consequently  many  of  the  prisoners  became 


FROM   BULL  RUN  TO  APPOMATTOX.  175 

blind  for  a  portion  of  the  24  hours.  Just  as  the  sun 
was  sinking  behind  the  fence  they  would  become 
totally  blind,  and  had  to  be  led  about  by  someone. 
As  morning  light  came  the  blindness  would  disap 
pear. 

Some  of  the  prisoners  who  were  mechanics  or 
artisans  got  work  outside,  but  I  believe  they  got  no 
pay  except  full  rations  and  the  privilege  of  bring 
ing  things  into  camp,  such  as  blocks  of  wood  and 
pieces  of  metal.  Out  of  these  were  manufactured  a 
great  many  interesting  little  articles — small  steam 
locomotives,  wooden  fans,  rings  from  rubber  but 
tons  set  with  gold  and  silver,  and  sometimes  gems. 
One  ingenious  fellow  built  a  small  distillery  and 
made  whiskey  from  potato  rinds  or  whatever 
refuse  he  could  pick  up,  and  got  drunk  on  the 
product. 

All  about  the  camp  were  boards  on  which  these 
manufactured  articles  were  exposed  for  sale.  A 
cracker  would  buy  a  chew  of  tobacco.  The  to 
bacco  was  cut  up  into  chews  and  half  chews.  The 
crackers  were  brought  in  by  the  men  who  went  out 
to  work.  I  cannot  recall  all  the  curious  things  that 
were  exposed  for  sale  within  the  camp. 

Whilst  in  prison,  twice  I  was  very  kindly  remem- 


176          FROM  BULL  RUN  TO  APPOMATTOX. 

bered  by  Miss  Melissa  Baker  of  Baltimore,  Md., 
who  sent  me  boxes  containing  provisions,  clothing, 
towels,  soap,  toothbrush,  jars  of  preserves,  cooked 
ham,  crackers,  lemons,  tea,  coffee  and  sugar. 
When  I  received  the  first  box  I  just  concluded  that 
I  was  going  to  kill  myself  eating.  I  ate,  and  ate, 
and  ate.  I  simply  could  not  stop ;  and  so  did  all  my 
comrades  in  the  tent. 

So,  of  course,  the  box  didn't  last  long.  How 
ever,  at  first  I  suffered  no  evil  consequences,  but 
finally,  like  most  of  the  other  prisoners,  was  taken 
sick  (though  not  from  eating),  and  my  comrades 
made  application  for  my  entrance  into  the  hospital. 
I  had  to  wait  a  week  or  ten  days  before  there  was  a 
vacancy.  I  was  carried  there  on  a  stretcher,  and 
was  so  sick  that  I  had  to  be  fed. 

Soon  after  my  entrance  into  the  hospital  Caleb 
Rector  was  brought  in.  His  home  was  on  the  turn 
pike  between  Middleburg  and  Upperville.  He 
had  a  scorching  fever,  and  was  soon  delirious.  I 
put  my  hand  on  him,  and  the  heat  almost  burned 
me.  One  day  a  nurse  took  a  wet  towel  and  put 
it  on  his  forehead.  In  a  little  while  I  saw  a 
smile  play  over  his  face,  and  as  the  nurse  was 
bending  over  him  he  reached  up  one  hand  and 


GEN.  A.  P.  HILL, 
Commanding  a  corps  of  Lee's  army.     Killed  just  before  the  final  surrender. 


FROM   BULL  RUN  TO  APPOMATTOX.  177 

caught  the  nurse  by  the  hair;  then  pulling  his  head 
down,  and  lifting  the  wet  towel  with  his  other 
hand,  tried  to  put  it  on  the  nurse's  forehead.  That 
act  revealed  the  character  of  the  man.  He  was 
open-hearted  and  generous,  and  the  cool  towel  on 
his  forehead  was  so  pleasant  to  him  that  he  wanted 
the  nurse  to  share  it  with  him. 

The  nurses  were  all  men,  chosen  from  among  the 
prisoners.  I  never  saw  a  woman  the  whole  time  I 
was  in  prison. 

The  hospitals  were  long  tents,  each  holding  about 
30  cots.  As  soon  as  a  patient  died,  he  was  taken  out 
to  the  dead-house,  the  sheets  changed,  and  another 
brought  in. 

When  I  was  first  taken  there  I  remarked  to  my 
neighbor  that  I  did  not  think  that  was  very  prudent 
(meaning  the  placing  of  a  new  patient  at  once  on 
a  bed  that  was  still  warm  from  the  body  that  had 
just  been  removed).  He  replied  that  the  bed  that 
I  was  on  had  been  occupied  by  a  smallpox  patient, 
and  I  was  put  on  it  a  few  minutes  after  the  patient 
was  taken  out. 

However,  there  was  a  separate  hospital  for  con 
tagious  diseases,  and  the  patient  had  been  removed 
as  soon  as  the  disease  developed. 


178          FROM  BULL  RUN  TO  APPOMATTOX. 

Most  of  those  who  went  into  the  hospital  died. 
The  dead  were  all  carried  at  once  to  the  dead-house 
on  stretchers,  and  once  a  day  a  two-horse  wagon 
came  in,  and  their  bodies  were  laid  in  it  like  so 
much  cord  wood,  uncoffined,  taken  out  and  buried 
in  long  trenches.  The  trenches  were  seven  feet 
wide  and  three  feet  deep,  and  the  bodies  were  laid 
across  the  trench  side  by  side  and  covered  with 
earth. 

I  had  been  in  prison  about  four  months  when 
news  came  that  the  two  Governments  had  agreed 
upon  an  exchange  of  prisoners;  it  only  included  the 
sick  in  the  hospitals.  Of  course,  every  patient  in 
the  hospital  was  on  the  anxious  bench,  wonder 
ing  whether  he  would  be  included  among  the  for 
tunate  ones.  Some  days  afterward  a  corps  of  phy 
sicians  came  to  the  hospital  tents  examining  the 
different  patients  that  lay  on  the  cots,  taking  the 
name  of  one  and  leaving  another.  I  happened  to 
be  among  those  who  were  selected  for  exchange. 
The  object  seemed  to  be  to  take  only  those  who  were 
not  liable  to  be  fit  for  service  soon. 

This  in  fact  was  not  an  exchange,  but  each  side 
had  agreed  to  parole  the  sick  from  the  hospitals, 
that  is,  those  who  were  not  too  ill  to  be  moved. 


FROM   BULL  RUN  TO  APPOMATTOX.          179 

At  one  time  the  two  Governments  freely  exchanged 
prisoners,  but  this  worked  so  much  to  the  advantage 
of  the  South  that  the  North  refused  to  continue  the 
agreement.  All  Southern  soldiers  were  enlisted 
for  the  war,  and  when  the  prisoners  came  back 
from  the  North  they  went  at  once  into  the  armies 
of  the  Confederacy,  while  Northern  prisoners,  re 
turning  from  the  South,  mostly  went  to  their  homes, 
as  they  enlisted  for  one  year,  and  their  terms  of 
service  in  most  cases  had  about  expired.  Then 
again,  the  South  was  taxed  severely  to  feed  its  own 
soldiers  and  citizens,  and  was  only  too  glad  to  get 
rid  of  the  burden  of  caring  for  Northern  prison 
ers,  and  hence  the  North  did  all  it  could  to  re 
strict  the  exchange  of  prisoners,  but  there  was  such 
a  pressure  brought  to  bear  upon  the  U.  S.  Govern 
ment  by  those  who  had  sick  and  wounded  friends 
confined  in  Southern  prisons,  that  now  and  then 
each  side  would  parole  a  number  of  prisoners  from 
the  hospitals  who  might  later  be  exchanged.  My 
recollection  is  that  about  1500  Confederate  pris 
oners  in  the  hospital  at  Point  Lookout  were  paroled 
at  this  time,  and  I  among  them. 

We  wrere  put  on  a  steamer  and  carried  to  a  point 
below  Richmond,  on  the  James  river,  where  we 


180          FROM  BULL  RUN  TO  APPOMATTOX. 

met  a  like  number  of  Federal  prisoners  that  came 
down  from  Richmond,  and  there  the  exchange  was 
made.  The  vessel  that  carried  us  up  the  river  was 
a  small  one,  and  the  sick  were  packed  on  the  deck 
and  in  the  hold  of  the  vessel  as  thick  as  they  could 
lay.  They  were  all  sick,  but  had  to  lie  on  the  hard 
decks  with  no  attention,  except  that  a  doctor  now 
and  then  went  through  the  vessel  handing  out  pills 
to  any  who  wanted  them.  He  carried  them  loose 
in  his  pocket,  and  as  he  stepped  between  and  over 
the  men  as  they  lay  on  the  hard  beds,  he  would  say, 
"Who  wants  a  pill?"  And  all  around  him  the 
bony,  emaciated  arms  would  be  stretched  up  to  re 
ceive  the  medicine.  What  the  pills  contained  no 
one  knew,  but  the  suffering  men  swallowed  them 
and  asked  no  questions.  They  were  sick,  and  needed 
medicine,  and  this  was  medicine.  What  more  did 
a  sick  soldier  need?  The  disease,  however,  was 
almost  entirely  a  bowel  affection,  and,  perhaps,  the 
same  medicine  served  for  all  cases.  Many  died  on 
the  way.  A  large  number  of  the  dead  were  put  off 
at  Fortress  Monroe  as  the  vessel  passed. 

Just  before  reaching  the  point  where  the  vessels 
were  to  meet  in  the  river,  our  vessel  was  drawn  up 


FROM   BULL  RUN  TO  APPOMATTOX.          l8l 

alongside  of  a  fine  large  steamer,  and  we  were 
transferred  to  it. 

All  the  very  sick  were  placed  upon  new  mat 
tresses.  This  was  the  condition  in  which  we  were 
received  by  our  Confederate  friends. 

The  vessel  that  landed  us  on  the  bank  of  the 
James  took  back  the  Federal  prisoners  that  had 
been  brought  down  from  Richmond,  but  I  hardly 
think  they  were  transferred  to  the  smaller  vessel 
that  brought  us  from  Point  Lookout.  The  Federal 
authorities  were  ashamed  to  let  the  officers  of  the 
Confederate  Government  see  the  miserable  condi 
tion  in  which  we  were  transported ;  hence  the  trans 
fer  to  the  larger  vessel  just  before  delivering  us  to 
the  Confederates.  As  soon  as  we  landed  we  were 
all  given  a  tincup  of  hot,  nutritious  soup,  the  like 
of  which  we  had  not  tasted  since  leaving  our  homes 
for  the  field,  unless  it  was  the  soup  the  Yanks  had 
given  us  four  months  before  when  we  embarked  on 
the  James  river  for  Fortress  Monroe  prison. 

We  were  conveyed  from  this  point  to  Richmond 
by  rail,  and  distributed  among  the  various  army 
hospitals  in  the  city.  I  was  sent  to  the  Chimborazo 
Hospital,  on  the  outskirts  of  the  city,  located  on  a 
bluff  looking  down  the  river,  within  hearing  dis- 


I&2          FROM   BULL  RUN  TO  APPOMATTOX. 

tance  of  the  siege  guns  on  Dury's  Bluff,  on  the 
James.  These  were  constantly  throwing  missiles  of 
some  sort  at  the  Yankee  gunboats  below.  I  re 
mained  in  the  hospital  about  ten  days,  and  then  was 
considered  well  enough  to  go  into  camp  with  other 
convalescents.  There  were  several  hundred  of  us. 
The  camp  was  near  the  city. 

Some  were  paroled  prisoners  and  some  were 
from  the  hospitals  of  the  city,  but  not  strong  enough 
to  return  to  their  commands. 

All  who  could  reach  their  homes  were  allowed 
leave  of  absence,  but  much  of  the  Confederate  ter 
ritory  was  then  in  the  hands  of  the  Northern 
armies,  and  all  whose  homes  could  not  in  safety  be 
reached  were  placed  in  camps  until  they  were  in 
condition  for  active  service.  Of  course,  those  on 
parole  could  not  re-enter  the  army  until  regularly 
exchanged. 

After  remaining  in  this  camp  a  short  time  and 
receiving  in  Confederate  paper  money  a  portion 
of  our  pay,  we  were  marched  into  Richmond  and 
to  one  of  the  depots.  We  did  not  know  what  dis 
position  they  intended  making  of  us  (perhaps  we 
were  going  to  a  new  camp),  but  there  was  a  train 
that  was  just  starting  out  for  Gordonsville,  so  three 


FROM   BULL  RUN  TO  APPOMATTOX.  183 

of  us  got  on  the  rear  platform  of  the  end  car  and 
thus  beat  our  way  to  Gordonsville  without  being 
noticed.  This  wras  as  far  as  the  train  could  go  in 
safety  on  account  of  the  proximity  of  the  enemy. 
When  we  got  off  we  noticed  Gen.  Lee  standing  in 
the  crowd,  having  just  alighted  from  the  train.  I 
had  often  seen  him,  but  had  never  got  as  close  to  him 
as  I  desired.  Now,  this  was  my  chance.  I  went  up 
within  five  feet  of  him,  and  took  a  good  look.  I 
never  expect  again  to  look  upon  such  a  splendid 
piece  of  humanity.  He  was  dressed  in  a  new  Con 
federate  uniform  that  fitted  him  perfectly,  with 
long-legged  boots,  reaching  above  the  knees.  His 
collar  was  adorned  on  each  side  with  three  gold 
stars,  surrounded  by  a  gold  wreath.  His  head  was 
covered  with  a  new  soft  black  hat,  encircled  with 
a  gold  cord,  from  which  dangled  two  gold  acorns, 
one  on  each  end.  On  his  hands  he  wore  yellow 
buckskin  gauntlets,  reaching  one-third  the  way  to 
his  elbows.  His  full  beard,  closely  clipped,  was 
iron-gray,  white  predominating.  I  imagined  that 
he  was  a  little  over  six  feet  and  would  weigh  190 
pounds.  His  eyes,  I  think,  were  brown,  and  as 
bright  as  stars.  No  picture  could  possibly  do  him 


184          FROM   BULL  RUN  TO  APPOMATTOX. 

justice.  I  suppose  it  would  take  cycles  of  time  to 
produce  another  such  as  he — so  perfect  in  form  and 
feature. 

We  three  at  once  struck  off  across  the  fields  to 
go  as  far  as  we  could  toward  our  homes.  We 
moved  in  the  direction  of  Charlottesville,  and, 
avoiding  the  town,  passed  beyond,  but  were  soon 
apprised  of  the  fact  that  we  could  not  go  farther 
without  danger  of  running  into  the  enemy.  We 
put  up  at  a  farmhouse  for  a  few  days,  and  after 
learning  that  the  enemy  had  withdrawn  from  the 
immediate  vicinity,  we  took  to  the  road,  our  desti 
nation  being  the  home  of  my  brother  Gerard,  a 
farmer  living  near  McGaheysville,  Rockingham 
county,  just  west  of  the  Blue  Ridge.  We  arrived 
there  in  due  time,  and  remained  quite  a  while,  per 
haps  a  month.  We  did  work  about  the  farm,  which 
was  accepted  as  compensation  for  our  board.  Of 
course,  no  one  thought  of  asking  money  considera 
tion  from  a  soldier,  and  as  far  as  I  was  concerned, 
I  felt  free  to  come  and  go  without  money  and  with 
out  price. 

When  I  was  captured  I  rode  a  borrowed  horse, 
belonging  to  one  of  the  members  of  my  command. 
This  horse  was  not  captured  with  me,  and  was 


FROM   BULL  RUN  TO  APPOMATTOX.  185 

taken  possession  of  by  the  owner,  but  I  had  a  horse 
that  I  had  left  with  my  brother  Gerard  to  recuper 
ate,  and  when  I  reached  there  I  expected  to  use 
this  horse  in  getting  home.  Imagine  my  disap 
pointment  when  I  was  told  that  he  was  dead.  His 
rest  and  good  pasture  had  put  fresh  blood  in  his 
veins  and  vigorous  life  in  his  body,  and  one  day, 
as  he  was  sporting  in  the  field  and  performing  va 
rious  gymnastic  stunts,  he  broke  a  blood  vessel,  and 
bled  to  death. 

My  brother  John,  who  was  then  in  prison,  had 
a  horse  there  also.  I  pressed  that  horse  into  service, 
and  started  for  home  late  in  the  fall.  I  got  safely 
through  the  enemy's  lines,  and  received  a  warm 
welcome  by  the  folks  at  home.  I  was  still  a  pa 
roled  prisoner,  and  had  to  refrain  from  going  on 
any  of  the  expeditions  that  were  making  Mosby 
and  his  men  famous  and  a  terror  to  the  authorities 
in  Washington,  although  I  was  strongly  tempted  to 
do  so.  The  winter  was  spent  pretty  much  as  the 
one  I  have  already  described.  The  life  of  the  Con 
federacy,  for  whose  existence  we  had  suffered  and 
lost  so  much,  was  hanging  in  the  balance.  Every 
family  was  mourning  the  loss  of  one  or  more  dead 
or  maimed;  food  and  clothing  could  hardly  be  ob- 


1 86          FROM   BULL  RUN  TO  APPOMATTOX. 

tained  at  any  price.  To  add  to  the  distressed  condi 
tion,  a  decree  had  gone  out  from  Washington  that 
all  the  mills,  barns,  provender  for  beast  and  food 
for  man  was  to  be  burned,  and  all  cattle  and  horses 
of  every  description  found,  driven  off.  This  decree 
had  been  carried  out  with  a  cruelty  that  in  the  light 
of  present-day  civilization  seems  incredible. 

The  armies,  "like  the  locust  of  Egypt,"  went  out 
from  Washington,  swept  down  the  rich  valley 
of  Virginia  beyond  Staunton  and  destroyed  or  car 
ried  off  everything  except  the  homes  and  the  old 
men  and  women  and  children  who  occupied  them. 
Many  of  these  homes  were  destroyed  by  catching 
fire  from  the  burning  barns  and  mills.  Every  part 
of  Virginia  within  reach  of  the  Northern  armies 
suffered  the  same  devastation. 

While  I  write  this,  a  gentleman  sits  in  my  office 
who  was  in  the  Northern  army  and  took  part  in  the 
burning.  I  have  just  read  the  foregoing  to  him 
and  asked  him  if  it  were  not  true.  "Yes,"  said  he, 
"every  word  of  it." 

Notwithstanding  this  condition  of  things,  every 
where  might  be  heard  the  cry,  "On  with  the  dance, 
let  joy  be  unconfined."  Mosby's  fame  as  a  daring 
raider  had  spread  far  and  wide,  and  his  command 


FROM   BULL  RUN  TO  APPOMATTOX.          187 

had  increased  to  over  500.  Dashing  young  cava 
liers  from  every  part  of  Virginia,  mounted  upon 
handsome  steeds,  came  trooping  in  to  join  his  com 
mand.  They  were  mostly  boys  who  had  been  too 
young  to  enter  the  army  at  the  beginning  of  hostili 
ties,  but  now,  as  they  became  old  enough  to  be 
ranked  as  soldiers,  were  anxious  to  get  into  the 
midst  of  the  greatest  excitement.  The  hills  and  val 
leys  of  Loudoun  and  Fauquier,  coupled  with  parts 
of  the  adjacent  counties,  furnished  the  field,  and 
John  S.  Mosby  of  Warrenton,  Va.,  was  accepted  as 
their  leader. 

What  might  we  expect  when  these  500  handsome 
young  men,  all  well  mounted  and  armed,  in  whose 
veins  flowed  the  blood  of  the  heroes  of  the  revolu 
tion?  These  500  heroes,  coming  in  every  few  days, 
some  of  them  with  the  marks  of  the  battle  on  their 
bodies  and  trophies  of  victories  in  their  hands. 
What  do  you  suppose  those  Virginia  girls  were 
going  to  do  about  it?  Put  on  sackcloth  and  ashes? 
Well,  it  was  sackcloth  they  wore,  and  many  of  their 
treasures  wrere  in  ashes,  but  their  spirits  were  un 
broken.  They  had  faith  in  the  God  of  battles,  and 
while  they  could  not  bear  arms,  they  said,  "Let  us 
make  merry,  for  these  are  our  brothers  and  lovers; 


1 88          FROM   BULL  RUN  TO  APPOMATTOX. 

we  should  cheer  them  with  laughter  and  song; 
it  will  make  them  stronger  and  braver."  And  so  it 
did,  and  they  fiddled  and  danced  while  "Rome 
burned." 

Some  time  during  the  latter  part  of  the  winter 
I  learned  that  all  the  prisoners  who  were  paroled 
at  a  certain  time  had  been  exchanged,  and  were 
ordered  to  rejoin  their  various  commands.  That 
included  me. 

As  I  was  no  longer  under  obligation  not  to  take 
up  arms  against  the  U.  S.  Government,  I  could  not 
refrain  from  taking  some  part  in  the  upholding  of 
what  was  often  called  Mosby's  Confederacy  (mean 
ing  the  territory  in  which  he  operated),  so  I  was 
tempted  to  steal  a  few  more  days  before  obeying  the 
order  from  Richmond.  I  went  with  Mosby  on  one 
occasion  when  the  Yankees  made  a  raid  through 
Loudoun  and  Fauquier  with  cavalry  and  artillery 
seeking  to  annihilate  his  command.  Mosby  had 
all  his  force  out  on  the  occasion,  and  hung  on  the 
enemy's  front  flanks  and  rear  from  the  time  they 
entered  Mosby's  territory  until  they  left.  He  did 
not  allow  them  time  to  eat,  sleep  or  rest.  In  an  en 
counter  near  my  home  a  Yankee's  horse  was  killed, 
from  which  I  took  the  bridle,  which  was  a  very 


FROM   BULL  RUN  TO  APPOMATTOX.  189 

fine  one.  In  doing  so  I  got  my  hands  bloody,  and 
the  blood  from  the  bridle  stained  my  clothes.  This 
started  the  rumor  that  I  was  wounded,  and  it 
reached  my  home  before  I  got  there,  but  I  soon  ar 
rived  and  explained  the  mistake. 

Shortly  afterward  I  was  in  company  with  a  num 
ber  of  others  on  the  way  to  Lee's  army,  the  greater 
portion  of  which  was  south  of  Richmond,  stretch 
ing  from  there  to  Petersburg. 

Now  to  go  back  to  my  capture  at  Yellow  Tavern. 
After  Grant's  repulse  at  Cold  Harbor  he  crossed 
the  James  river  with  his  army  and  began  the 
siege  of  Richmond,  which  lasted  all  through  the 
remainder  of  the  fall  and  winter  of  1864  and  1865 
into  April. 

The  colonel  of  my  regiment  (Flournoy),  who  I 
stated  was  killed  at  the  battle  of  Cold  Harbor,  was 
the  last  of  the  colonels  in  my  brigade  to  lose  his  life. 
A  gallant  young  officer,  he  was  a  little  too  fond  of  the 
bottle,  not  very  choice  in  his  language,  rather  reck 
less.  A  few  days  before  he  was  killed  he  remarked 
to  one  of  his  staff  as  they  stood  around  the  camp- 
fire,  "I  don't  believe  the  bullet  that  is  to  kill  me 
has  yet  been  molded."  Foolish  man;  at  that  very 
time,  not  far  from  where  he  stood,  was  a  soldier  in 


190          FROM   BULL  RUN  TO  APPOMATTOX. 

blue  carrying  about  his  waist  a  leather  cartridge- 
box  that  held  the  very  bullet  that  was  to  end  his 
life,  and  not  many  hours  afterward  that  bullet  and 
that  colonel  met.  The  latter  surrendered  without 
a  word. 

The  winter  was  a  long,  dreary  one,  and  the  Con 
federates,  being  compelled  to  live  in  the  trenches 
night  and  day,  suffered  terribly  from  cold  and  hun 
ger.  Wade  Hampton  took  Gen.  Stuart's  place 
after  the  latter's  death,  and  during  the  winter  made 
a  raid  inside  Grant's  lines  and  drove  out  1500  head 
of  fat  cattle.  It  did  not  take  Lee's  hungry  soldiers 
long  to  dispose  of  them  and  lick  their  chops  for 
more.  Grant's  great  army,  stretching  from  the 
James  river  to  Petersburg,  compelled  Gen.  Lee  to 
do  the  same  with  his  little,  half-starved  and  scant- 
ily-clothed  force,  and  all  winter  long  Grant 
pounded  away  at  Lee's  front,  trying  to  break 
through.  The  most  sensational  event  that  occurred 
was  the  battle  of  the  Crater,  as  it  was  called.  Grant 
attempted  to  break  Lee's  line  by  digging  a  great 
tunnel,  which  had  for  its  object  the  blowing  up  of 
Lee's  intrenchments,  and  then  in  the  confusion, 
rushing  a  large  force  into  the  opening.  The  tunnel 
was  finished  up  to  and  under  Lee's  line  and 


FROM   BULL  RUN  TO  APPOMATTOX.          191 

loaded  with  explosives.  I  believe  there  was  a  pre 
mature  explosion,  which  resulted  in  the  killing  of 
more  of  Grant's  soldiers  than  of  Lee's,  and  then 
the  attack  that  followed  resulted  in  a  great 
slaughter  of  Grant's  men  and  the  total  failure  of  the 
project. 


CHAPTER  X. 

From  Petersburg  to  Appomattox  and  Home. 

"There  hangs  a  saber,  and  there  a  rein, 
With  a  rusty  buckle  and  a  green  curb  chain ; 
A  pair  of  spurs  on  the  old  grey  wall, 
And  a  moldy  saddle — well,  that  is  all." 

April  2,  1865,  Lee  was  compelled  to  evacuate 
Richmond,  abandon  his  whole  battle  line,  and  fall 
back  toward  the  mountains.  He  hoped  to  be  able 
to  join  his  forces  with  those  of  Gen.  Jos.  E.  John 
ston,  who  was  advancing  northward  through  North 
Carolina,  but  his  losses  were  so  heavy  and  his  army 
almost  starved,  the  road  deep  with  mud  from  ex 
cessive  rains,  making  it  impossible  for  his  gaunt, 
lean  horses  to  draw  his  artillery  and  wagons.  He 
saw  further  resistance  was  useless,  so  on  April  9, 
1865,  Lee  surrendered  what  was  left  of  his  once 
formidable  army.  The  number  was  a  little  less 
than  8000  men.  I  have  seen  it  stated  that  Lee  had 
about  35,000  men,*  when,  on  April  2,  he  ordered 

*General  Longstreet  says  the  total  number  surrendered  to  Grant 
was  28,356.  Many  of  these  came  in  voluntarily  and  surrendered. 
Lee  had  with  him  1500  prisoners,  taken  since  leaving  Petersburg. 
These  were  the  first  to  be  delivered  to  the  Union  army.  The  first 
generous  act  Grant  did  after  the  surrender  was  to  furnish  Lee's 
hungry  soldiers  and  horses  with  food.  Grant's  army  must  have 
-umbered  not  far  from  150,000. 

192 


FROM   BULL  RUN   TO  APPOMATTOX.  193 

the  evacuation  of  his  line  of  intrenchments.  Some 
of  his  cavalry,  being  on  the  outskirts,  were  not  in 
cluded  in  the  surrender.  Besides  this,  during  the 
seven  days'  retreat,  Grant's  forces  were  pressing 
Lee's  army  on  all  sides,  killing,  wounding  and  cap 
turing  some  of  his  men  every  hour;  this  accounts 
for  the  small  number  that  Gen.  Lee  personally 
surrendered.  The  first  thing  that  was  done  after 
the  surrender  was  an  application  from  Gen.  Lee 
to  Grant  for  food  for  his  horses  and  men,  which 
was  promptly  supplied.  Of  course,  there  is  much 
that  is  interesting  in  connection  with  the  surrender 
that  need  not  be  recorded  here.  Grant's  treatment 
of  Lee  and  his  soldiers  won  for  him  praise  all  over 
the  South. 

But  to  go  back.  As  I  have  said,  I  was  on  the 
march  from  home  toward  the  army,  and  had 
reached  a  point  not  far  from  Charlottesville.  There 
\vere  about  a  dozen  of  us,  all  belonging  to  my  regi 
ment.  About  noon  we  saw  advancing  toward  us  a 
small  body  of  cavalry.  At  first  we  took  them  for 
the  enemy  and  approached  them  cautiously,  they 
using  the  same  precaution.  When  we  discovered 
that  we  were  fellow-Confeds  we  passed  with  a 
salute.  One  of  them  called  to  us  and  said,  "Boys, 
you  may  as  well  go  home;  Lee  has  surrendered  his 


194         FROM  BULL  RUN  TO  APPOMATTOX. 

army."  We  paid  no  attention  to  it,  but  moved  on. 
A  mile  farther  we  met  another  squad  and  asked 
what  was  the  news  from  the  army.  We  got  this 
reply:  "As  we  passed  through  Charlottesville  we 
came  near  being  mobbed  for  telling  the  news  from 
the  army.  You  had  better  go  on  and  find  out  for 
yourselves."  Soon  after  this  we  met  a  colonel  lead 
ing  about  40  cavalrymen.  By  this  time  we  began  to 
feel  that  something  was  wrong.  The  colonel  halted 
his  men  and  frankly  told  us  that  it  was  a  fact  that 
Lee  had  surrendered  his  army.  He  stated  that 
some  of  the  cavalry  had  escaped  and  they  were 
making  their  way  toward  their  homes,  and  advised 
us  to  do  the  same.  The  colonel  and  his  men  moved 
on,  and  we  halted  for  an  hour  in  the  road  discussing 
the  situation  and  trying  to  determine  what  to  do. 
We  were  not  prepared  to  act  upon  the  evidence 
that  we  had  had  regarding  the  surrender,  but  were 
willing  to  admit  that  it  might  be  true.  One  fellow 
from  Company  F,  riding  a  gray  horse,  rose  in  his 
stirrups,  and  lifting  his  clinched  hand  high  above 
his  head,  said,  "If  Gen.  Lee  has  had  to  surrender 
his  army,  there  is  not  a  just  God  in  Heaven." 

Finally  we  decided  to  cross  the  mountains  into 
the  Virginia  Valley  and  tarry  in  the  vicinity  of 


FROM  BULL  RUN  TO  APPOMATTOX.          195 

Staunton  and  await  further  tidings.  I  made  a  bee- 
line  for  my  brother  Gerard's.  The  others  scattered 
here  and  there.  After  remaining  a  few  days  at  my 
brother's  I  started,  in  company  with  six  or  eight 
others,  who  were  from  the  lower  end  of  the  valley, 
principally  Clark  county,  for  my  home  in  Loudoun, 
with  no  definite  idea  as  to  what  I  should  do  before 
I  got  there.  In  fact,  the  others  were  in  the  same 
frame  of  mind. 

We  had  heard  and  read  the  proclamation  that 
all  Confederate  soldiers  who  would  surrender  their 
arms  and  take  the  oath  of  allegiance  to  the  U.  S. 
Government  (except  a  certain  grade  of  officers) 
would  be  allowed  to  go  to  their  homes  and  not  be 
molested,  but  we  had  not  yet  come  to  the  point  of 
surrendering. 

We  moved  on  down  the  valley  pike,  noting  as  we 
went  the  terrible  havoc  the  war  had  made,  com 
menting  on  what  we  called  Jackson's  mileposts, 
viz,  the  skeletons  of  horses  that  had  fallen  by  the 
way.  They  were,  however,  too  thick  to  be  called 
mileposts,  but  that  is  what  we  called  them. 

A  little  below  Woodstock,  I  think  it  was,  we  saw 
on  a  hill,  standing  in  the  middle  of  the  road  facing 
us,  two  sentinels  on  horseback.  They  were 


196          FROM  BULL  RUN  TO  APPOMATTOX. 

Yankee  pickets.  I  think  there  were  eight  of  us. 
We  halted.  Someone  said,  "Well,  boys,  what  are 
we  going  to  do?  We  can't  pass  these  pickets. 
Shall  we  surrender?"  I  guess  we  stood  there  for 
an  hour.  We  were  all  mounted.  Finally  a  young 
fellow  from  Clark  county  said,  "I'm  going  up  and 
surrender."  Another  said,  "I  go  with  you."  And 
the  two,  taking  something  in  their  hands  that  would 
pass  for  a  flag  of  truce  (white  handkerchiefs  had 
become  obsolete),  went  forward  and  were  allowed 
to  pass.  They  went  to  headquarters  and  surren 
dered.  Then  one  by  one  the  little  band  melted  away, 
leaving  two,  and  I  was  one  of  them.  We  were  not 
ready  to  surrender.  We  went  back  out  of  sight,  and 
made  a  flank  movement  to  get  into  the  foothills  of 
the  Massanutten  mountains,  and  by  keeping  under 
cover  of  the  timber,  managed  to  get  within  12  miles 
of  my  home  without  being  molested. 

As  we  stood  on  the  edge  of  the  woods  we  saw  the 
Yankee  cavalry  moving  up  and  down  the  turnpike 
running  from  Paris  to  Middleburg.  It  looked  as 
if  there  was  nothing  else  to  do  but  surrender.  At 
this  point  my  comrade  deserted  me  and  went 
forward  and  surrendered.  I  watched  my  oppor 
tunity,  slipping  across  the  pike  unobserved,  and  fol- 


FROM  BULL  RUN  TO  APPOMATTOX.          197 

lowing  the  Blue  Ridge  mountains  until  nearly  op 
posite  my  home,  took  a  straight  line  across  the  fields 
and  reached  home  safely.  As  I  carried  my  full 
complement  of  arms  I  created  no  little  surprise  and 
consternation. 

Union  soldiers  were  constantly  passing  along  the 
road  which  ran  close  by  my  home,  some  of  them 
stopping  for  water  or  for  information,  but  I  could 
not  fully  make  up  my  mind  to  surrender.  My 
brother  Richard  of  Mosby's  command  was  of  the 
same  mind.  Mosby  and  all  his  men  had  surren 
dered,  and  the  family  pleaded  with  us  to  do  the 
same,  but  we  were  obstinate.  This,  however,  was 
nothing  to  our  credit.  When  one  is  whipped  he 
should  be  man  enough  to  acknowledge  it  and  brave 
enough  to  surrender,  unless  the  conqueror  be  a 
cannibal. 

Thus  ended  my  career  as  a  soldier.  As  I  look 
back  over  those  four  eventful  years,  after  a  lapse  of 
over  40  years,  it  all  seems  a  dream.  In  time  of 
peace  it  is  a  struggle  for  75  per  cent,  of  us  to  get  a 
fair  living  out  of  the  earth,  but  the  people  down 
South  were  able  to  live,  and  were  in  a  degree  com 
fortable  and  contented,  and  managed  to  get  food 
enough  to  preserve  their  bodies  and  keep  them 


198          FROM  BULL  RUN  TO  APPOMATTOX. 

strong  and  healthy.  Flour  was  $500  a  barrel.  I 
paid  $125  in  Richmond  for  a  hat  that  I  could  now 
buy  for  $i.  This  common  red-striped  candy,  $25 
per  pound.  Samuel  Rector  had  gone  from  Lou- 
doun  county  to  Richmond  in  1864  on  some  business. 
When  ready  to  go  home  he  thought  it  would  be 
nice  and  the  proper  thing  to  do  to  take  the  family 
some  little  remembrances.  He  went  into  a  confec 
tionery  store  and  asked  to  see  some  candies.  The 
jars  were  taken  down  and  he  tasted  first  one  then 
another.  Selecting  one  and  asking  the  price,  he  was 
told  that  it  was  $25  per  pound.  It  was  of  the  long, 
red-striped  variety  just  mentioned,  worth  in  times 
of  peace  about  10  cents  per  pound.  He  had  a  pound 
of  it  wrapped  up,  and  handed  the  proprietor  a  $50 
Confederate  note.  Twenty  dollars  was  handed 
back  in  change.  Mr.  Rector  said,  "I  understood 
you  to  say  the  price  was  $25."  "That  is  true,"  said 
the  affable  confectioner,  "but  you  ate  $5  worth." 
The  joke  was  well  worth  $5  to  Mr.  Rector,  and  he 
got  more  pleasure  out  of  it  than  he  did  out  of  the 
pound  of  candy. 

There  were  four  commodities  with  which  the 
South  was  plentifully  supplied,  viz.,  tobacco,  cot 
ton,  money  and  horses.  We  raised  the  two  former 


FROM   BULL  RUN  TO  APPOMATTOX.  199 

% 

in  the  territory  not  harassed  by  marching  armies. 
The  third  was  supplied  by  printing  presses,  and  the 
horses  were  captured  from  our  enemy.  Of  course, 
bridles,  saddles,  harness  and  wagons  came  with  the 
horses. 

I  have  omitted  a  great  many  little  entertaining 
incidents  partly  for  the  sake  of  brevity  and  partly 
because  they  escaped  my  memory  at  the  time  they 
should  have  been  narrated.  One  that  I  just  now 
recall,  and  one  which  the  children  always  used  to 
make  me  tell  whenever  war  stories  were  called  for, 
regardless  of  how  often  it  had  been  repeated,  I 
will  insert  here: 

One  cold,  windy  night  in  the  winter  of  '62  I  was 
on  picket  on  the  turnpike  between  Upperville  and 
Middleburg.  Pickets  in  the  Confederate  army 
always  stood  alone,  as  two  or  more  would  likely  be 
absorbed  in  conversation  and  forget  their  duty. 
We  were  also  admonished  not  to  dismount.  I  was 
a  little  reckless  that  night,  and  dismounting 
stood  leaning  against  my  horse  to  break  the  bleak 
wind  and  absorb  as  much  heat  from  his  body  as 
possible.  He  became  restless,  and  I  noticed  that 
he  was  looking  intently  down  the  pike  and  throw 
ing  his  head  up  and  down  as  horses  will  do  when 


200          FROM   BULL  RUN  TO  APPOMATTOX. 

excited.  I  listened,  but  could  hear  no  sound,  and 
told  my  steed  to  keep  still,  but  his  keen  eyes  or  ears 
saw  or  heard  something  that  worried  him,  and  he 
kept  his  ears  pointed  down  in  the  direction  from 
which  the  enemy  would  probably  come  if  they 
came  at  all.  I  said  to  myself,  "You  had  better 
mount  your  horse."  But  I  delayed.  I  then  recalled 
the  fact  that  news  had  reached  the  camp  that  day 
that  a  body  of  cavalry  had  left  the  vicinity  of  Wash 
ington  and  was  moving  northeast,  and  wre  had  been 
commanded  to  keep  a  sharp  lookout.  Then  I  con 
cluded  to  mount,  but  before  I  could  do  so  I  realized 
that  it  was  too  late. 

I  was  standing  close  by  one  of  those  old  Vir 
ginia  stone  fences,  about  five  feet  high,  and  in  the 
darkness  I  saw  an  object  creeping  up  on  the  other 
side  of  the  fence,  close  to  it,  and  only  a  few  feet 
from  where  I  stood.  I  immediately  concluded  that 
the  object  was  a  man,  and  that  he  was  from  the 
enemy  and  was  bent  on  capturing  or  killing  the 
picket,  so  as  to  surprise  our  camp.  The  most  ac 
cessible  weapon  I  had  was  my  sabre.  I  drew  it 
and  made  a  cut  at  what  I  conceived  to  be  the  man's 
head.  As  I  did  so,  the  object  disappeared  behind 
the  fence,  and  in  its  place  appeared  what  proved 


FROM   BULL  RUN  TO  APPOMATTOX.          2OI 

to  be  a  black  cat's  tail,  which  in  a  flash  followed 
the  cat.  Although  it  was  quite  dark,  the  little  black 
object  appearing  between  me  and  the  sky  had  been 
plainly  visible.  This  incident  taught  me  a  lesson 
that  I  never  forgot.  I  mounted  my  horse,  and  never 
was  known  afterward  to  dismount  when  on  the 
picket  line.  I  believe  this  was  the  greatest  fright 
I  encountered  during  my  whole  four  years'  war  ex 
perience. 

One  more  little  incident,  and  a  short  tribute  to 
the  remarkable  fidelity  of  the  colored  people  of 
the  South  to  the  Southern  cause  and  the  families 
of  their  owners,  and  I  shall  have  finished. 

There  was  in  my  company  a  soldier  by  the  name 
of  Owens — Mason  Owens.  He  was  a  splendid  fel 
low,  quiet  in  his  demeanor,  brave  in  battle,  always 
in  his  place,  whether  that  place  was  in  the  front  or 
rear  rank,  but  never  liked  to  do  anything  that  called 
for  disguise  or  deception,  such  as  acting  as  a  spy  or 
disguised  as  a  Union  soldier,  in  order  to  get  into 
the  enemy's  camp,  although  he  recognized  that  it 
was  necessary  to  have  men  for  work  of  this  kind. 
Owens  was  very  fond  of  me ;  in  fact,  I  had  no  more 
faithful  friend  in  the  army.  He  was  continually 
with  me,  doing  me  favors,  sharing  with  me  any 


202          FROM   BULL  RUN  TO  APPOMATTOX. 

delicacy  that  came  into  his  possession,  keeping  close 
by  me  in  battle.  Sometimes  when  the  regiment 
would  be  ordered  to  dismount  for  the  purpose  of 
engaging  the  foe  on  foot  (and  he  was  No.  4,  making 
it  his  duty  to  remain  mounted  and  take  care  of  Nos. 
i,  2,  and  3  horses) ,  he  would  quickly  dismount  and 
take  my  place  in  the  ranks  and  leave  me  the  care  of 
the  horses  (a  place  few  objected  to  having),  and 
many  like  favors.  One  afternoon,  near  night,  our 
captain  said  that  he  had  a  requisition  for  six  picked 
men  to  do  some  hazardous  nightwork  within  the 
enemy's  lines,  just  the  kind  of  duty  that  Owens  de 
tested.  But  fate  was  against  him,  and  he  and  five 
others  were  selected.  He  sullenly  complied,  and 
as  he  rode  out  of  the  ranks  with  his  face  flushed  and 
his  head  bowed,  I  heard  him  say,  "I  don't  like  this." 
Someone  said,  "Owens,  I'll  take  your  place."  He 
turned  and  gave  him  a  look  that  must  have  chilled 
the  fellow's  blood,  and  said,  "Didn't  you  hear  Gapt. 
Gibson  call  me?" 

I  saw  the  six  ride  off;  Owens  didn't  even  say 
good-bye  to  me.  That  night  one  of  Lee's  noted 
scouts  led  these  men,  with  others  taken  from  other 
commands,  into  the  enemy's  camp,  and  Owens 
never  returned.  He  was  shot,  and  fell  from  his 


FROM   BULL  RUN  TO  APPOMATTOX.          203 

horse,  dying  either  from  cold  or  the  wound.  At 
intervals  during  the  night  a  citizen  living  near 
where  he  fell  heard  someone  calling,  but  was  afraid 
to  go  out.  The  next  morning  he  found  his  dead 
body  and  buried  it.  I  grieved  very  much  over  his 
death,  occurring  as  it  did. 

Now  I  want  to  say  that  I  shall  ever  have  a  tender 
spot  in  my  breast  for  the  colored  people,  owing  to 
what  I  know  of  the  race,  judged  from  my  associa 
tion  with  them  from  early  childhood  up  to  and  in 
cluding  the  years  of  the  Civil  War,  and,  indeed, 
some  years  after. 

My  home  in  Loudoun  county,  on  the  border  line 
between  the  North  and  South,  gave  me  an  unusual 
opportunity  of  judging  how  far  the  negro  could  be 
trusted  in  caring  for  and  protecting  the  homes  of 
the  men  who  were  in  the  Southern  armies.  Scat 
tered  all  through  the  South,  and  especially  in  the 
border  States,  there  were  white  men  who  were  not 
in  sympathy  with  the  South,  and  some  of  them 
acted  as  spies  and  guides  for  the  Northern  troops 
as  they  marched  and  counter-marched  through  the 
land.  But  I  never  knew  of  negroes  being  guilty  of 
like  conduct.  They  not  only  watched  over  and 
protected  the  women  and  children  in  their  homes, 


204          FROM   BULL  RUN  T0  APPOMATTOX. 

but  were  equally  as  faithful  and  careful  to  protect 
the  Southern  soldier  from  capture  when  he  re 
turned  home  to  see  his  loved  ones. 

No  soldier  in  Loudoun  or  Fauquier  counties 
ever  feared  that  his  or  his  neighbor's  servants  would 
betray  him  to  the  enemy.  The  negro  always  said, 
in  speaking  of  the  Southern  soldiers,  "our  soldiers," 
although  he  well  knew  that  the  success  of  the  North 
meant  his  freedom,  while  the  success  of  the  South 
meant  the  continuation  of  slavery. 

Another  remarkable  thing.  No  one  ever  heard 
of  a  negro  slave,  or,  so  far  as  I  know,  a  free  negro 
of  the  South,  offering  an  insult  or  an  indignity  to  a 
white  woman.  They  were  frequently  commis 
sioned  to  escort  the  daughters  of  the  family  to 
church  or  to  school,  or  on  any  expedition  taking 
them  from  home.  Sometimes  the  distance  was  long 
and  across  fields  and  through  lonely  woods,  but  the 
kinky-headed,  pigeon-heeled  colored  man  always 
delivered  his  charge  safely,  and  would  have  died 
in  his  footsteps  to  do  it  if  the  occasion  required. 
Freedom,  education,  or  both,  or  something  else, 
has  developed  in  the  negro  a  trait  that  no  one  ever 
dreamed  he  possessed  until  after  the  close  of  the 
Civil  War.  Hence,  I  have  a  great  respect  for  the 


FROM   BULL  RUN  TO  APPOMATTOX.          205 

race.  Not,  however,  on  account  of  this  lately- 
developed  trait,  but  for  those  other  traits  that  were 
so  much  in  evidence  during  the  time  that  tried 
men's  souls. 

The  following  are  the  names  of  the  several  divi 
sions  of  the  army  in  which  I  served,  and  the  names 
of  the  chief  of  each  division  from  the  captain  of 
my  company  to  the  commander-in-chief  of  the 
army: 

Company. — I  was  in  Company  A,  first  com 
manded  by  Col.  Richard  H.  Dulaney,  who  served 
a  few  months  and  was  promoted.  He  was  suc 
ceeded  by  Bruce  Gibson  of  Fauquier  county,  Vir 
ginia,  who  served  during  the  entire  war,  and  was 
once  knocked  from  his  horse  by  the  concussion  of 
a  shell,  but  sustained  no  other  injuries.  Was  a 
prisoner  from  June,  1864,  to  the  end  of  the  war. 

Regiment. — Sixth  Virginia  Cavalry,  commanded 
first  by  ex-Governor  Flournoy,  who  served  one 
year,  retired  on  account  of  age,  was  succeeded  by 
his  son,  who  was  killed  at  Cold  Harbor  in  June, 
1864,  and  was  succeeded  by  Richards  from  Clark 
county,  Virginia.  The  regiment  was  composed  of 
ten  companies,  and  came  from  the  following  coun- 


206          FROM  BULL  RUN  TO  APPOMATTOX. 

ties:  Loudoun,  Fauquier,  Clark,  Fairfax  and 
Prince  William. 

Brigade. — First;  Robinson,  and  then  Gen.  Wm. 
E.  Jones,  who  was  killed ;  then  Gen.  Lomax,  who, 
I  believe,  is  still  living  near  Warrenton,  Fauquier 
county,  Virginia. 

Division. — Gen.  Fitzhugh  Lee,  nephew  of  Gen. 
Robert  E.  Lee.  He  survived  the  war,  and  died  a 
few  months  ago. 

Corps. — Commanded  by  Gen.  J.  E.  B.  Stuart, 
who  was  killed  at  Yellow  Tavern  in  1864.  He  was 
succeeded  by  Gen.  Wade  Hampton  of  South  Caro 
lina,  who  survived  the  war  and  died  a  few  years 
ago. 

Army. — Northern  Virginia;  commanded  first 
by  Gen.  P.  G.  T.  Beauregard,  who  was  succeeded 
by  Joseph  E.  Johnston,  who  was  succeeded  by  Gen. 
Robert  E.  Lee,  who  held  the  position  until  the  close 
of  the  war.  Lee  was  also  made  commander-in- 
chief  of  all  the  Confederate  armies. 


CHAPTER  XI. 

AN  AFTER-THOUGHT. 
The  Horses. 

"Here  lies  the  steed  with  his  nostril  all  wide, 
But  through  it  there  rolls  not  the  breath  of  his  pride. 
The  foam  of  his  gasping  lies  white  on  the  turf, 
And  as  cold  as  the  spray  of  the  rock-beaten  surf." 

I  do  not  mean  to  intimate  by  the  headline  of  this 
chapter  that  I  forgot  the  horses  of  Lee's  army. 
They  were  on  my  mind  all  through  the  story,  but  it 
was  not  until  the  manuscript  was  in  the  hands  of 
the  printer  that  the  thought  came  to  me  that  they 
should  have  a  chapter  in  this  book.  Ah!  the  horses 
—the  blacks  and  bays,  the  roans  and  grays,  the  sor 
rels  and  chestnuts  that  pulled  Lee's  army  from  the 
Rappahannock  to  Gettysburg  and  back,  and  all  the 
other  horses  that  pulled  and  tugged  at  the  wagons, 
at  the  batteries  of  artillery;  the  horses  that  carried 
the  men,  the  unstabled  horses  and  the  half-fed 
horses.  Let  my  right  hand  forget  its  cunning  if  I 
forget  to  pay  proper  tribute  to  those  noble  animals 
that  suffered  so  much  for  their  masters.  How  often 


207 


208          FROM   BULL  RUN   TO  APPOMATTOX. 

my  mind  goes  back  to  that  horse  that  I  saw  coming 
across  the  field  from  the  front  at  Bull  Run  with 
his  sides  all  dripping  with  blood.  He  was  a  hero, 
for  he  had  been  out  "where  the  fields  were  shot, 
sown  and  bladed  thick  with  steel,"  and  was  coming 
back  to  die.  Nearly  all  the  bodies  of  the  men  were 
buried,  and  some  horses,  for  sanitary  purposes, 
were  covered  with  earth,  and  a  few  may  now  be 
lying  in  comfortable  graves,  marked  by  marble 
shafts.  Lee's  gray  horse,  "Traveler,"  and  Jackson's 
little  sorrel,  though  dead,  may  yet  be  seen,  not  un 
like  what  they  were  when  they  bore  their  riders 
along  the  battle  front.  But  the  bones  of  all  the  other 
horses  that  perished  whitened  for  a  while  the  hills 
and  valleys  and  the  roadsides  that  stretched  from 
Gettysburg  to  Appomattox,  and  then  when  the 
war  was  over,  men  gathered  them  up  and  ground 
them  into  merchandise  to  enrich  their  coffers.  The 
horses  that  were  alive  at  the  close  of  the  war  were, 
for  the  most  part,  tenderly  cared  for,  and  have  long 
ago  joined  their  comrades  on  the  other  side.  I  hope 
they  are  all  grazing  together  on  red-headed  clover 
in  the  green  fields  of  Eden. 

How  many  horses  were  in  Lee's  army  from  be 
ginning  to  end  and  how  many  perished  has  never 


BISHOP    ALPHEUS    W.   WILSON, 
Who  trained  Rover. 


FROM   BULL  RUN   TO  APPOMATTOX.          209 

been  told.  Some  idea  can  be  formed  from  the  fol 
lowing  statement: 

Such  an  army  as  Lee's,  of  100,000  men,  required 
15,000  draft  horses,  10,000  for  cavalry,  and  per 
haps  1500  to  2000  for  the  officers,  their  staffs  and 
couriers,  making  a  total  of  27,000  horses.  Perhaps 
a  fair  estimate  of  the  number  of  horses  employed  in 
the  army  of  Northern  Virginia,  commanded  by 
Gen.  Lee  in  person,  from  1861  to  1865,  would  be 
75,000.  Of  these,  30,000  may  have  survived  the 
war,  the  remaining  45,000  perished.  Add  to  these, 
say,  120,000  for  the  Union  army,  and  we  have  the 
sum  total  of  195,000  horses  that  took  part  in  that 
great  drama,  where  the  soil  of  Virginia  was  the 
stage. 

My  first  horse  was  named  Rover.  She  and  I 
were  colts  together  on  the  farm,  I  nine  years  her 
senior.  I  loved  her,  but  there  are  doubts  about 
her  love  for  me.  When  young,  she  could  run  faster, 
jump  higher  and  cut  more  "monkey  shines"  than 
any  colt  in  the  neighborhood.  More  than  once  she 
landed  me  on  my  back  in  the  middle  of  the  road. 
This  was  before  she  entered  the  military  service  of 
the  Confederacy. 

Once  my   father  was   on   her  back  crossing   a 


210          FROM   BULL  RUN  TO  APPOMATTOX. 

stream.  He  loosened  the  rein  to  let  her  drink.  A 
leaf  came  floating  down  the  stream  as  peacefully 
as  a  summer  zephyr.  This  gave  Rover  an  oppor 
tunity  for  playing  one  of  her  pet  tricks.  When  the 
leaf  came  in  view  she  pretended  to  be  terribly 
frightened,  made  a  leap  forward,  and  landed  my 
father  on  his  back  in  the  middle  of  the  stream.  The 
water  furnished  so  soft  a  bed  that  he  was  unhurt. 
There  was  a  carriage  just  behind  in  which  Bishop 
Alpheus  W.  Wilson  of  the  M.  E.  Church  South, 
now  living  in  Baltimore,  was  riding.  I  heard  him 
tell  the  story  a  short  time  ago,  and  from  the  pleas 
ure  with  which  he  related  it,  I  am  satisfied  that  he 
greatly  enjoyed  the  episode  at  the  time,  and  the  re 
membrance  still  affords  him  amusement.  The 
good  bishop  was  then  a  circuit  rider  on  Loudoun 
Circuit,  and  Rover  carried  him  on  her  back  around 
the  circuit.  He  tried  hard  to  make  her  a  good  sad 
dle-horse,  and  succeeded.  He  also  tried  to  improve 
her  manners,  and  while  she  may  have  behaved  her 
self  when  under  his  eye,  it  is  doubtful  whether  she 
ever  experienced  a  change  of  heart. 

I  was  always  suspicious  of  her,  and  I  had  a  right 
to  be.  Sometimes  I  thought  she  was  opposed  to  se 
cession  and  worked  in  the  interest  of  the  Union. 


FROM   BULL  RUN  TO  APPOMATTOX.          211 

Once  she  delivered  me  into  the  hands  of  the  Yan 
kees,  and  tried  to  do  it  again  and  again.  She 
seemed  to  have  an  affinity  for  United  States  horses, 
and  always  wanted  to  carry  me  directly  in  among 
them.  It  has  already  been  stated  that  she  had  a 
jaw  that  no  bit  could  hold.  If  she  had  been  a 
woman  we  might  have  thought  that  it  was  the  re 
sult  of  talking  too  much.  What  a  weapon  of 
destruction  Samson  could  have  made  of  her  jaw 
bone  !  I  don't  know  when  and  where  she  joined  the 
great  majority,  for  we  parted  company  in  the  spring 
of  1863  on  the  banks  of  the  Shenandoah  river.  I 
deserted  her  to  avoid  capture.  We  never  met  again, 
unless  it  was  on  the  opposite  sides  of  the  battle  line, 
and  if  so,  she  took  very  good  care  to  keep  on  her 
own  side;  at  least  on  the  side  that  was  opposed  to 
my  side.  It  grieved  me  very  much  to  part  with 
her,  for,  with  all  her  faults,  I  loved  her  still. 

The  cavalryman  and  his  horse  got  very  close  to 
each  other,  not  only  physically,  but  heart  to  heart. 
They  ate  together,  slept  together,  marched,  fought 
and  often  died  together.  Frequently  a  wounded 
horse  would  be  seen  bearing  his  wounded  rider 
back  from  the  front.  During  Lee's  march  to 
Gettysburg  and  back  the  cavalryman  was  in  touch 


212          FROM   BULL  RUN  TO  APPOMATTOX. 

with  his  horse  18  hours  out  of  24,  and  the  other  six 
hours  he  was  usually  close  enough  to  mount  at  a 
moment's  warning.  Much  of  the  time,  while  in 
Pennsylvania,  the  men  slept  with  their  horses  tied 
to  the  wrist.  While  the  rider  slept,  the  horse  crop 
ped  the  grass  around  him  as  far  out  as  his  tether 
would  allow  him,  and  as  close  up  to  his  rider's  body 
as  he  could  get.  Sometimes  he  would  push  the 
man's  head  aside  with  his  nose  to  get  the  grass  be 
neath  it.  I  have  seen  men  by  the  thousands  lying 
in  this  manner  in  the  fields  with  their  horses  graz 
ing  about  them,  yet  I  never  knew  a  horse  to  tread 
on  one,  or  in  any  way  injure  him. 

On  one  occasion,  near  Chambersburg,  Pa.,  the 
men  were  sleeping  with  their  horses  grazing  about 
them,  when  the  bugle  called  us  to  mount.  Some 
time  after  forming  in  line  I  missed  one  of  my  mess 
mates,  and  called  the  captain's  attention  to  it.  He 
sent  me  out  over  the  fields  in  search  of  him.  I 
found  him  just  over  the  crest  of  a  little  hill  fast 
asleep,  with  his  horse  tied  to  his  wrist.  He  was  ly 
ing  at  full  length  on  his  back.  His  horse  had 
closely  cropped  the  grass  all  around  him,  and  as 
far  out  as  he  could  reach,  and  so  completely  had  he 
taken  every  spear  of  grass  about  the  soldier  that 


FROM   BULL  RUN  TO  APPOMATTOX.          213 

when  the  man  got  up  he  left  a  perfect  outline  of  his 
body  on  the  field. 

On  another  occasion,  when  on  the  way  to  Gettys 
burg,  we  had  halted  for  a  rest  at  Delaplane,  Va. 
Having  no  food  for  our  horses  we  were  ordered  to 
turn  them  loose  in  the  fields  to  graze.  It  \vas  10 
o'clock  at  night.  We  unbridled  and  unsaddled  our 
steeds  and  let  them  go  free.  This  was  in  June,  and 
the  clover  was  fine.  The  hungry  animals  went 
briskly  to  work  satisfying  their  hunger.  The  grind 
ing  of  their  many  jaws  sounded  like  the  muffled 
roar  of  a  distant  cataract,  and  this  was  the  music 
that  lulled  the  weary  men  to  sleep  as  they  lay  scat 
tered  over  the  fields,  without  any  fear  of  being  hurt 
or  trodden  upon.  But  suppose  Kilpatrick  had  sud 
denly  appeared  upon  the  scene  and  had  thrown  a 
few  shells  into  those  fields?  What  would  have 
been  the  result?  You  can  trust  a  horse  so  far  and 
no  farther.  A  field  full  of  unbridled  and  fright 
ened  horses  might  have  brought  death  and  destruc 
tion,  and  swept  Stuart's  cavalrymen  from  the  face 
of  the  earth.  But  no  such  fatality  occurred.  About 
2  o'clock  in  the  morning  the  bugle  sounded  "saddle 
up,"  and  although  it  was  quite  dark,  in  an  incred- 


214         FROM  BULL  RUN  TO  APPOMATTOX. 

ibly  short  time  every  man  was  mounted  on  his  own 
horse  and  on  the  march. 

There  were  times  when  the  cavalry  would  march 
all  night.  The  men  soon  learned  to  sleep  on  horse 
back,  or  you  might  call  it  nodding,  but  some  went 
sound  asleep  sitting  upright  on  their  horses.  Oc 
casionally,  when  a  soldier  was  caught  fast  asleep, 
his  comrade  would  slip  the  rein  out  of  his  hand  and 
lead  his  horse  to  a  fence  corner  and  hitch  it.  The 
sudden  stopping  would  awaken  him,  for  he  would 
at  once  begin  to  fall.  Catching  himself,  he  would 
look  around  in  amazement,  and  if  the  night  were 
dark,  he  had  no  little  difficulty  finding  his  place  in 
the  ranks. 

Little  episodes  similar  to  this  would  help  to  while 
away  the  weary  hours  of  the  night.  Then  there  was 
always  some  wit  or  wag,  who,  at  intervals  of  an 
hour  or  so,  would  arouse  the  whole  line  with  some 
ridiculous  outburst.  A  dark  and  stormy  night  al 
ways  called  for  something  extraordinary  in  this 
line  in  order  to  keep  the  men  in  good  cheer.  After 
perhaps  an  hour  of  silence,  during  which  time  not  a 
sound  could  be  heard  save  the  clatter  of  the  horses' 
feet,  the  rattle  of  the  soldiers'  armor  and  the 
splatter  of  the  rain,  when  suddenly  someone  with 


FROM  BULL  RUN  TO  APPOMATTOX.  2 15 

the  voice  of  a  foghorn  would  rouse  up  and  yell  out, 
"I  want  to  go  h-o-m-e,  and  I  am  sick,  that's  what  I 
want."  Then  some  other  fellow  far  up  or  down  the 
line  would  answer  back,  "I  want  to  see  my 
m-o-t-h-e-r,  and  I  am  hungry,  too,  that's  what  I 
want."  This  was  said  in  a  sobbing  tone,  as  if  the 
speaker  were  about  to  burst  into  tears.  It  would 
set  the  whole  column  off,  and  for  half  an  hour  or  so 
there  would  be  a  lively  time. 

If  we  were  passing  a  residence,  either  humble  or 
stately,  someone  would  haltinfrontof  itand"Hello" 
until  he  saw  a  window-sash  go  up  and  a  head  poked 
out,  with  the  usual  question  "What  is  it  you  want?" 
The  reply  would  be,  "Say,  Mister,  you  had  better 
take  your  chimney  in,  it's  going  to  rain."  Then  be 
fore  the  angry  countryman  could  get  his  gun  the 
f  unmaker  would  gallop  off  to  his  place  in  the  ranks. 
And  thus  the  night  was  passed. 

No  amount  of  hardship  or  deprivation  seemed  to 
dampen  the  ardor  of  the  cavalier.  He  always  had 
resources,  and  when  in  need,  they  were  drawn 
upon;  but  the  horse,  like  Felix,  cared  for  none  of 
these  things.  They  seemed  to  say,  "Have  all  the 
fun  you  want,  boys,  it  doesn't  disturb  us,  but  don't 
forget  that  when  we  have  crossed  the  river  there 


2l6  FROM   BULL  RUN  TO  APPOMATTOX. 

will  be  something  more  serious  for  you  to  do;  we 
are  following  the  feather  of  Stuart  tonight."  And 
thus  they  would  trudge  on ;  it  mattered  not  whether 
storm  or  calm,  they  moved  in  silence,  each  horse 
following  the  one  in  front  of  him,  or  yielding  to 
the  gentle  pressure  of  the  rein  if  the  rider  had  oc 
casion  to  leave  the  ranks. 

Of  course,  this  condition  existed  only  when  we 
were  not  in  proximity  to  the  enemy.  When  the 
bluecoats  were  about  things  were  different.  Every 
man  had  his  horse  well  in  hand;  the  spur  and  the 
rein  told  the  horse  where  he  must  go ;  the  men  were 
silent;  only  the  officers  spoke. 

The  horses  were  fairly  well  supplied  with  food 
until  after  Gettysburg.  Then  when  winter  came 
and  there  was  no  grass  and  no  growing  grain,  food 
for  Lee's  27,000  horses  became  a  serious  problem. 
I  have  pulled  dried  grass  in  December  for  my  horse 
until  my  fingers  bled.  At  other  times,  when  food 
was  more  plentiful,  the  horse  was  required  to  share 
his  food  with  his  master,  particularly  in  roasting- 
ear  time.  Then  our  rations  were  often  the  same. 
We  cooked  ours,  while  the  horse  took  his  green. 
But  during  the  winter  months,  when  we  needed 
some  kind  of  beverage  to  wash  down  our  hardtack, 


FROM  BULL  RUN  TO  APPOMATTOX.  217 

the  only  thing  we  could  get  was  horse  feed,  which 
was  roasted  and  boiled.  We  called  it  coffee.  It- 
was  very  good  then.  We  had  to  rob  our  horses  for 
this,  and  we  all  felt  mean  when  we  did  it.  A  table- 
spoonful,  however,  was  all  that  each  man  had  to 
take  from  his  horse  for  a  cup  of  coffee.  The  fol 
lowing  winter  food  got  scarcer  and  scarcer  for  both 
man  and  beast,  and  the  horses  became  thinner  and 
thinner. 

I  do  not  know  how  others  felt  about  the  bodies 
of  the  dead  horses  that  lay  scattered  over  the  battle 
fields,  but  this  sight  distressed  me  almost  as  much 
as  did  the  bodies  of  the  soldiers.  They  were  so 
faithful  and  unfaltering.  When  the  bugle  sounded, 
any  hour  of  the  night,  or  any  hour  of  the  day,  re 
gardless  of  how  short  a  time  they  had  rested  or  how 
many  miles  they  had  marched,  they  were  always 
ready  to  respond.  They  knew  all  the  bugle  calls. 
If  it  were  saddle  up,  or  the  feed  or  the  water  call, 
they  were  as  ready  to  answer  one  as  the  other.  And 
they  were  so  noble  and  so  brave  in  battle.  They 
seemed  to  love  the  sound  of  the  guns.  The  cavalry 
man  might  lie  low  on  the  neck  of  his  horse  for 
shelter  as  the  missiles  of  death  hissed  about  him,  but 
the  horse  never  flinched,  except  when  struck. 


2l8  FROM  BULL  RUN  TO  APPOMATTOX. 

The  cavalryman  often  used  his  horse  for  a  breast 
work  while  he  fired  over  his  back,  the  horse  stand 
ing  like  a  Casabianca  on  the  burning  deck  of  his 
father's  ship.  Did  you  ever  read  "Black  Beauty?" 
If  you  have  not,  read  it.  Lee  had  75,000  "Black 
Beauties"  in  his  army,  every  one  of  which,  or  nearly 
every  one,  is  worthy  of  a  monument.  We  build 
monuments  for  our  dead  soldiers,  for  those  we 
know  and  for  the  unknown  dead.  What  would 
you  think  of  a  monument  some  day,  somewhere  in 
Virginia,  in  honor  of  Lee's  noble  horses? 

I  hardly  know  which  branch  of  the  service  ought 
to  receive  the  highest  honor,  the  wagon  horses,  the 
artillery  horses  or  the  cavalry  horses.  I  was  very 
close  to  the  latter,  and  knew  them  better,  but  the 
wagon  and  artillery  horses  also  had  a  warm  place  in 
my  heart.  To  see  the  wagon  horses  hitched  to  heavy, 
loaded  wagons,  with  shells  falling  around  them, 
with  no  way  of  escape,  was  pathetic.  To  see  the 
artillery  horses  torn  to  pieces  by  shells  that  were 
not  intended  for  them  touched  a  tender  chord,  and  if 
I  should  be  asked  to  write  their  names  on  the  roll 
of  fame,  perhaps  it  would  be  in  the  order  in  which 
I  have  named  them. 

The  cavalry  horse,  however,  was  my  pet,  and  I 


FROM  BULL  RUN  TO  APPOMATTOX.  219 

should  not  want  to  see  him  any  less  honored  than 
the  former,  but  they  all  had  their  places.  Farra- 
gut,  in  the  rigging  of  his  flagship  giving  orders,  was 
all  right,  but  a  wooden  Indian  would  have  done 
about  as  well  if  the  coal-shoveler  below  had  failed 
to  do  his  duty.  What  could  Gen.  Lee  have  done 
had  all  his  horses  balked  in  unison?  Nothing. 
Then  all  honor  to  Lee's  horses,  who  pulled  and 
hauled  and  fought  and  died  that  this  might  be  a 
very  great  nation. 

No  more  appropriate  lines  could  be  had  for  the 
ending  of  this  story  than  the  following  touching 
little  poem  by  Francis  Alexander  Durivage: 

"There  hangs  a  sabre,  and  there  a  rein, 
With  a  rusty  buckle  and  green  curb  chain; 
A  pair  of  spurs  on  the  old  gray  wall, 
And  a  moldy  saddle — well,  that  is  all. 

"Come  out  to  the  stable — it  is  not  far ; 
The  moss-grown  door  is  hanging  ajar. 
Look  within !     There's  an  empty  stall, 
Where  once  stood  a  charger,  and  that  is  all. 

"The  good  black  horse  came  riderless  home, 
Flecked  with  blood  drops  as  well  as  foam ; 
See  yonder  hillock  where  dead  leaves  fall ; 
The  good  black  horse  dropped  dead — that  is  all. 

"All?   O,  God!  it  is  all  I  can  speak. 
Question  me  not,  I  am  old  and  weak; 
His  sabre  and  his  saddle  hang  on  the  wall, 
And  his  horse  is  dead — I  have  told  you  all." 


NOTE. — I  said  in  the  beginning  that  I  had  not  consulted  any  of  the 
Civil  War  histories  for  material  for  this  book.  After  the  manuscript 
was  in  type,  I  read  for  the  first  time  James  Longstreet's  book  on  the 
Civil  War;  also  Henderson's  "Life  of  Jackson,"  and  I  am  indebted 
to  these  two  authors  for  some  facts  in  regard  to  the  losses  in  battle 
and  the  number  engaged.  To  the  latter  I  am  indebted  for  the  account 
of  the  tragic  wounding  and  death  of  Stonewall  Jackson.  These 
additions  are  mostly  to  be  found  in  foot  notes  throughout  the  book. 


